Nature's Wrath
by The Great Weiss Shark
Summary: Remnant was on the cusp of a revolution. Human-Faunus relationships have steadily improved over the years thanks to the tireless efforts of the newly reformed Schnee Dust Company. With peace finally within arm's reach, a grim shadow looms over the four kingdoms biding its time. (WhiteRose and BumbleBee)
1. Prologue

**Edited: October 26, 2014**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>Peace had rotted away humanity's fear of the unknown, instilling it with false bravado. It was only a matter of time until the Frozen Fangs of Atlas devoured them whole.<p>

Freshly fallen snow, undisturbed and beautiful, refracted the moon's light highlighting the jagged peaks surrounding the stalwart Kingdom of Atlas. Thin air, howling zephyrs, sleeted snow, and frigid temperatures were a few of the staple hazards common here. Reckless adventurers often bragged about reaching a summit and braving the "harsh" elements, but those familiarized with hunts—the vile creatures of Grimm—knew otherwise.

The thrill of a vertical climb, defying fear, embracing the cold and pushing the body to its limits, and the boisterous pride attached to reaching the top, it was an egoist's dream come true. Mountaineers had been provoking Death for years and throwing all their cards at Lady Luck. Something was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time.

Red noses, aching skin, constant shivering, and laboured breathing were good signs. Having the wind push away zealous fools with the might of a furious hurricane was even better. The ascent may have been a complete failure, but they were lucky. They could go home and proudly proclaim: "I'm alive!" Friends and family can breathe easy for another night knowing their loved one was still here.

Hunters and huntresses barely acknowledged the braggarts occupying the local pubs. As sellswords they knew the peril better than anyone. To them they were nothing more than delectable walking corpses waiting to be served on a silver platter. While the mountaineers choose to laugh at nature's rage, the huntsmen lived and breathed it—some were even born in it. But what unsettled the Grimm slayers wasn't the cold or the razor-sharp winds, it something mundane—something people leisurely enjoyed—they feared the silence.

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><p><strong>Nature's Wrath<strong>

**Arc 1: Remnant's Maw**


	2. Chapter One

**Hello everyone, Sharky here with an important announcement:**

**Nature's Wrath, my flagship AU, has received a lot of praise and a lot more criticism than I was comfortable with. A lot of complaints were about my decision to break my chapters into smaller segments instead of uploading them as a whole. My reasoning for this is because I dislike the interface, it strains the eyes—well my eyes. But the people have spoken, and I have listened. The chapters from here on will be how I intended them to be, but unlike the previous version this one will include my edits and new scenes. **

**Please do not misinterpret my actions as something negative. I value all the input I receive and honestly Nature's Wrath would not be where it is today without that. The support I've gotten from reviews, private messages and everything going on in tumblr, have been amazingly uplifting. **

**Thank you for everything.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>A dark-red apple soared into the air, briefly grazed the ceiling then plummeted back into the gloved hand that threw it. The apple belonged to a beautiful, lavender-eyed woman dressed in a white suit with a large, twelve pointed snowflake embroidered on the back. She brushed the fruit against her lapel until it shined with a brilliant a mirror finish. Bringing it up to her eager mouth, she crunched down taking more than half of its crisp, juicy flesh off. Suffice to say the apple was gone in three quick bites—core and all—nothing was left. She smacked her lips savouring the sweet aftertaste, a satisfied burp echoing throughout the room followed by her girlish giggle.<p>

The woman's name was Yang, a carefree and uninhibited huntress with a love for puns, good food and black cats. She was regarded highly throughout Remnant's hunter population as a talented hand-to-hand combat specialist, but to civilians she was nothing more than a filthy Schnee "Dust Dog" on a loose leash. The uniform she wore was both a blessing and a curse to the lucky few who wore it, though her frightening reputation made most of her hecklers flee before she could throw a single punch. Thankfully, the Grimm weren't as smart… or as lucky.

Yang had lustrous, knee-length blonde hair that was wild, wavy and free; her fringe was swept to the left, tucked neatly behind her ear. She disliked having anything constrict her mane, but made an exception for her motorcycle helmet and whatever silly braid her darling niece insisted upon.

Whenever she was working within the city of Atlas, she was dressed in the standard SDC Chevalier uniform. The regimental consisted of a form-fitting white overcoat, and the employee's choice of either a matching pair of pants or a skirt. Underneath the coat was a white vest with golden buttons, that went over an ice-blue dress shirt and black tie. And after numerous complaints about scuff marks on the floor, no doubt from the cranky janitorial staff, the CEO made non-marking dress shoes mandatory for all employees.

During hunts and field expeditions Yang wore an unbuttoned, sleeveless sandy-brown splittail coat that dropped well past her knees. Her personal crest, a black and yellow flame resembling a heart, was stamped on her back large enough for all to see. To keep her coat from flying about, Yang had a dark leather pouch belt secured around her hips. And under her coat, she wore a yellow midriff tank top that struggled to contain her endowments, and a pair of black skintight denim shorts. Fingerless dark-purple gloves that faded to black were always present under her weapons, and on her feet she wore steel plated, lace-up long boots that complimented her coat.

And wound tightly around her right forearm was a black ribbon she unceremoniously nabbed from her leading lady. It was a fond memory for the blonde, but the memories attached to the threadbared fabric on her opposite arm was still a hard bullet to bite. It served as a painful reminder of her failure as both a huntress and as an older sister. And no matter which outfit she wore, Yang kept that red ribbon visible at all times—no exceptions.

Originally it had been part of a scarlet cloak that belonged to Ruby Rose, her little sister. In its prime the cloak was thick, warm and smelled of roses and nature, but now it was faded, torn to shreds and forever stained with blood. Most of it had been obliterated during the violent skirmish that nearly claimed all their lives, but Yang managed to salvage what she could from the decimated underground battlefield. She vigorously washed and scrubbed the scraps until her hands were dyed a deep red, and raw from the constant friction.

Yang stood to her full height, an astounding five feet eleven inches, and stretched her muscles. She relished the cringeworthy popping noises her stiff joints made, but loved the tingling feeling afterward even more. As the huntress continued to limber up, she glanced over a kitsch rabbit clock hanging on the wall to the right. It read 3:27 p.m. telling her it was almost time for the news. Dropping back down, Yang reached out for the tv remote on the table behind her, and pointed it towards a small television. She hit the power button making the old device flicker to life, but before tossing the remote away she cranked up the volume as high as it could go.

An important live broadcast was being aired from inside of the city courthouse pertaining to the gross allegations the Schnee Dust Company was facing. If the long-winded conversation she had with her boss during breakfast this morning held any merit, this interview was going to be laugh riot. The woman had something sneaky tucked up her sleeve and Yang couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Surfing through the available channels, Yang kept an eye out for a reliable news outlet covering it. Fortunately, she didn't have to search long; the broadcast was playing on nearly every channel.

The sentient inhabitants residing within Remnant's treacherous lands were the humans and Faunus. The Faunus shared many similarities to their human counterparts, save for their distinguishable traits akin to wildlife. Being the minority, the Faunus suffered through years of human discrimination and torment. This phenotypic trait unique to the Faunus caused fear, distrust, conflict, and all out war between the two races.

The Faunus eventually banded together under the White Fang flag and fought for their rights. They were benign at first, but then a new leader rose up and forced a new order. Leaving their days of peaceful protest behind, the White Fang turned to heinous acts of violence against humanity. They used underhanded tactics to gain recognition such as robberies, kidnappings, and even snapping back at the peaceful activists who continued to rally under their old flag.

The White Fang leader had made it clear: peace was no longer an option.

Their latest act of terrorism involved a small mining community outside of Vacuo. It had a sparse population of roughly two-hundred, most of which were Faunus. The White Fang saw them as easy targets and took control without resistance. They held the village captive and brought their demands to the dust company who owned it, and their response was… less than satisfactory.

That same night, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a series of bombs went off. The ensuing blaze lit up the night sky, and by morning nothing was left. Eighty-seven people managed to escape the chaos unharmed, and thirty left with minor injuries.

Civil rights activists were quick to place blame, and despite not having anything to do with the bombings, the SDC fell under tremendous heat. It was well known that the White Fang had a bloody history of conflict with the Schnee family, so when no one took responsibility they became the public's scapegoat. What the blinded populace didn't expect was the company accepting the burden gracefully and with a smile.

The program began at exactly 3:30 p.m, with a flashy logo fading away to a pretty news reporter who introduced herself as Stacy Stars. Yang remembered her instantly and was genuinely surprised to see that her career had taken off. She had met this young woman once before at an SDC social function a few years ago, back then she was a small-time journalist for an even smaller town newspaper. Yang had given her a few encouraging words and never saw her again after that.

"Five lien says porky messes up in the first five minutes," Yang said to no one in particular.

Stacy instructed the cameraman to follow her and as she weaved through the massive crowd, the camera panned around revealing the angry audience stewing impatiently for things to start. The reporter quickly noticed people were beginning to take the stage, and eagerly began reciting their respective names and titles as they made their way up.

SDC's PR representative, Gerald K. Douglas, stood in front of the ravenous pack of reporters smiling—or at least attempted to—and waved. He stood proud at the stand and spoke animatedly to the crowd, however, his eyes held no passion.

There wasn't much to say about Gerald. He was pale, portly man in his late fifties with a scornful wife, rebellious children, a disappointed mistress, and more skeletons in his closet than a cemetery. His face was riddled with blemish scars, wrinkles, and a distractingly large mole on his upper lip that sprouted three curly hairs. People struggled not to stare at the hairy blot whenever Gerald spoke, most failed to its hypnotic charm almost instantaneously. Yang and her friend Nora were one of the brave, tactless few who blatantly stared at it.

Behind the impressive podium, sitting on folding chairs, was the SDC's newly appointed CEO, Weiss R. Schnee. She spoke quietly to a short-haired Faunus woman who wore the Chevalier uniform, and a familiar bloodstained cloth tied securely around her neck. Yang knew her boss was giving the other woman permission to pull Gerald off the stand if—no, _when_ he said the wrong thing. The Faunus remained silent, merely nodding her head in acknowledgement.

Mr. Douglas had worked for the SDC for over twenty years as a PR Rep. When the regime change took place, he got to keep his job—_barely_. He got to speak on behalf of the company for small matters, however, he did not get to speak for Weiss and her Dogs. The Chevalier had their own PR Rep, Blake Belladonna, for the times Weiss' straight-to-the-point methodology would be more of a hindrance than an asset.

"Look at him sweating under the pressure already. Gross," Yang blurted out, reeling in discomfort.

Clearing his throat, Gerald took in a deep breath to steady his nerves. The roar of the audience simmered down in anticipation, they needed answers and they needed it now.

"For years the SDC has lead the march for better employee treatment worldwide, and now we strive the same for our Faunus brothers and sisters."

He had heard Blake call them that during her statements. If it could work for her, then it would surely work for him as well. He took a moment to read the crowd's mood, Gerald hoped to see them ease under his warm "familiarity", but instead he saw them talk amongst themselves cautiously; his words had had the opposite effect than the one playing in his head. Gerald could practically Weiss' scrutinizing turquoise gaze on his back waiting for him to stumble. Her overconfident smirk hovered over him as he swallowed the stubborn lump in his throat, trying in a vain attempt to gather whatever was left of his pride.

"Our former CEO, Wolfram Schnee, realized that acceptance and change was required to better the future of the company. He built homes, schools, created jobs, boosted the economy, and so much more during his time. He accepted the Faunus as they were: tras—_tragic! _Tragic victims."

"Checkmate," Weiss mouthed to Blake.

Douglas managed a quick save, but the spectators had heard his blunder loud and clear. Faint voices shouted out from the crowd, riling the audience. He could feel his heart pounding against this chest like a jackhammer. _This is not good, not good at all._

"Did he just call us _trash_?"

"Yeah, I think so!"

"What kind of bullshit is this!?"

"The SDC needs to take responsibility!"

"We want answers not excuses!"

The public grew restless as the red-faced man struggled to correct them, however, it was no use. The people had turned against him faster than a bullet making Yang's face light up in nail biting anticipation, this was the moment she had been waiting for all day.

Weiss knew all about Gerald and his blatant bigotry, but could not relieve him of his title without due cause. So she pulled Blake back from the public eye under the pretense that the woman had been ill and had Gerald take her place for all public announcements. He did well for a few weeks, but the pressure eventually got to him. All Weiss needed to do now was set her plans into motion, and finally get rid of him once and for all. One little mistake was all she needed to drop the axe, then he and all those who felt the same would be excised.

Bigots, homophobes and extremists had no place in the new SDC—_her_ SDC.

To summarize the plan short and sweet: the broadcast was a setup. The SDC had nothing to do with the bombings, but the accusations were a great way to have Gerald take the stand. Everything was going according to plan, and Weiss couldn't be happier. And while it was difficult to discern from the tiny TV, the Ice Queen had the ghost of a smile on her face.

Feeling it was finally time for a positive shift in direction, the CEO extended her hand to Blake and helped her onto her feet. Yang couldn't stop gawking at the ridiculous farce the two women had schemed. It was so simple and subtle that only Blake could have come up with it. By helping her comrade up, Weiss not only showed a gentler, kinder side to her stoic personality, but she also managed to show compassion towards the Faunus as an equal.

The white-haired woman whispered a few statements she wanted to point out to Blake. With eager ears, the smiling Chevalier nodded her head. The confidence she exerted as she walked up to the podium drew in the people's attention like a magnet. She whispered something to Gerald, most likely relaying the terms of his dismissal and had him ushered off stage without remorse. She was even kind enough to wave goodbye when he began hollering profanities at her.

"Get off of the stage, Dust Dog! Why don't you bury some poor town's economy or better yet go fetch a newspaper!" a disheveled human male screamed furiously, he was echoed by a others giving him the courage to continue his rant.

The Faunus attending the press conference glared at the heckler and his supporters, but the handsome woman on stage chuckled and motioned for her brethren to calm down.

"Correction," she tutted dryly, "I'm a Dust _Cat_." Blake was here to mend the situation, not let it become a riot—a real riot that is.

"Your cold-hearted boss is making money off of innocent people's suffering!"

"You guys say you're 'helping' the Faunus now, but it still doesn't change the fact your company is as corrupt as ever!"

"Hiring a few Faunus and giving them fancy titles isn't going to undo years of oppression!"

"How dare you parade around in fancy clothes when people are starving!"

"Do you know how many people have died because you Dogs refuse to help!? Top-notch huntsmen my ass."

"Now, now let's all be reasonable here," she said in an even tone masking her emotions. "First issue I'd like to address today is the grave misunderstanding citizens seem to have about what this uniform entails.

"The Schnee Dust Company Chevaliers, or 'Dust Dog' as we're commonly known as, is a special unit consisting of exceptional men and women; we are _not_ public servants or weapons for hire. Our duties aren't to hunt common Grimm, or interfere with civil disputes—we're not even here to protect Ms. Schnee. Though if the situation presented itself, we would be more than happy to lay down our lives for her and her cause.

"What we protect is the company and its investments. And lastly to make things clear once and for all, the only Grimm hunts we accept are the ones ordinary huntsmen cannot handle on their own."

The woman straightened herself and took a breath, all that talking was draining her. Weiss noticed this and brought her a water bottle. Blake took a few sips and returned it, they exchanged a few words before the business tycoon returned to her seat.

"Moving forward, what happened earlier this week was unfortunate. For all the families who were affected, we sincerely apologize."

Blake turned her stern golden eyes to look directly at the cameras and bowed in respect.

"The SDC did not receive a notice from the White Fang, so this incident was directed towards a different company. However, we are still taking measures to ease the situation.

"I know the SDC has had prior altercations in the past, but that was then and this is now. It's easy to toss blame around, but that accomplishes nothing. As citizens of Remnant, we need to set aside our differences and forgive those who want a second chance; nothing is set in stone.

"Our former CEO realized that we needed to change. In order for that to happen the Schnee Dust Company needed someone with brave, bold new ideas. Someone who didn't follow the path already made, but rather someone who had the courage and the tenacity to carve their own. When he retired, he handed Ms. Schnee with more than just his life's work. He handed her the future—our future!

"And after just a few short years under her command, the SDC has flourished and became the stalwart advocate for Faunus-Human relations we see today. But of course with a company of this size and magnitude, there are bound to be discrepancies. That, brothers and sisters, is what we Chevaliers are for.

"It will take years—decades even—to completely solve this internal problem. As long as we stay vigilant in our cause, I'm sure we'll all see the day when peace is a reality. So until then, please keep believing in us."

The audience remained silent as they digested the speaker's words. There had been a dynamic difference between her and Gerald. She put the crowd at ease, showed them her earnest passion, and reached out to them as more than mere banknotes. But what really won the crowd over was how she showed her unwavering loyalty to the new Schnee in charge.

It was scary and a little unnerving, but the SDC was changing the world once again—and this time for the better. Slowly, the crowd began to clap, even the stony faced CEO applauded her colleague.

Blake continued her speech shortly after the applause ended. She explained the finer details of the company's actions to assist those affected by the bombing, as well as the budget they were allotted for such things. The blonde watching lost interest as soon as a string of boring numbers were listed.

Yang shut off the television and sat at the edge of her seat grinning from ear to ear. Her chest swelling with burning pride and shouted, "That's my girl! Way to show 'em who's boss, Blakey!" as if the short-haired woman could hear her. She pumped her fists into the air and continued to cheer enthusiastically.

A tightlipped nurse stormed into the room and shooshed Yang, spraying her with a bit of spit. The lavender-eyed lioness glowered the other woman with a drab expression, clearly disgusted by the foreign droplets of saliva splattered across her cheek. She absolutely hated it when someone tried to rain on her parade, but lightened up when she saw the nurse's face boiling red. This was the perfect chance for her to ruffle someone's feathers.

Wiping the offending spittle away, the blonde hollered "Hello!" in a cheerful sing-song voice to elicit a reaction. "What can I do for you on this fine snowy day?"

"Chevalier or not, need I remind you that you are in a hospital room?" she seethed through tightly clenched teeth. This had been the fourth time she had to reprimand the the huntress today and she was growing sick of it. "There is only one rule we want you to follow and that is to be _quiet_. You're disturbing the other patients."

"Well that's just stupid," Yang blew a raspberry at the furious nurse, "isn't this room right beside the coma ward? Don't you want them to wake up?"

"Have some respect!" the nurse screamed vehemently. She clamped her mouth shut and fumed internally for falling into the blonde's trap.

"I have plenty of respect," Yang yelped indignantly.

"Then please show some and be quiet!"

Wagging a finger, Yang grinned, "I'm not the one screaming here."

"Please, I'm begging you, just be quiet."

"Eh, not my style. I live my life like a fucking dragon and nobody, especially not you, is going to tell me to do otherwise! And plus, I think all this soft music and silence is boring 'em to death. It's worse than math class or one of Weiss' bored meetings—hehe, see what I did there?" Fanning her arms and legs out, Yang let out a rather unladylike yawn. "Hell, I feel like I'm an inch away from falling into a coma myself. Mind getting me a pillow on your way out, Ms. Grouchy-pants?"

"I will not tolerate anymore transgressions." Stamping her foot, the nurse turned to leave, but stopped at the doorway to glare at Yang. "The next time I hear you from down the hall, I will be making a very angry phone call to your boss and tell her how you show no respect."

Yang's lavender-eyes lit up at the opportunity handed to her. "Pfft, 'Yang Xiaos No Respect,' oh jeez you're hilarious!" she exclaimed in a fit of laughter. "Pure gold, I swear. Mind if I use it?"

"I'm warning you, I will do it and you will face repercussions."

The feisty Chevalier "oo'd" and said, "I'm shaking in my little booties, nothing scarier than a tattletale."

Having had enough of the huntress' immaturity, the nurse left grumbling something along the lines of "dirty dogs and their loud barking".

"Am I still getting that pillow?" Yang shouted after her. "Guess not, oh well."

With the disturbance finally out of her hair, the brawler's mood flattened. She hated being reminded of where she was.

Located a little ways away, just outside of Atlas' city limits, was a state of the art hospital privately owned by the SDC. Named proudly after the famous combat school in the capital city of Vale, Shining Beacon was the largest project completed by the newly reformed company to date; it also physically dwarfed the largest government funded hospital by a landslide. The addition of this grand institute had a positive effect and improved health care by a significant margin all across the country. Shining Beacon's main purpose was to alleviate the congested halls of inner city hospitals by housing their long term patients and elderly, it also provided a safe and calming haven for the terminally ill. And like all major SDC facilities, Shining Beacon had a Chevalier personally appointed to manage it.

"Knock, knock," announced a timid voice.

"I'd know that ridiculously sexy accent anywhere!" Yang casually looked over her shoulder and winked, "It's been awhile, Velvy. Funny story, I was just thinking about you."

Dressed in the mandatory Chevalier uniform, Velvet looked nothing short of stunning. The brunette had a magnificent smile on her face that brought out Yang's sunnier side. She had chocolate brown hair down to her shoulders, vibrant hazel eyes and long rabbit ears protruding from the top of her head.

Yang jumped out of her chair and held her arms wide open waiting for the Faunus to come to her.

"I hope you weren't thinking of anything too lewd," Velvet bit back in jest. She walked into the room and gave Yang a friendly hug. "And yes, it has been a while. So very good to see you again, friend."

"It's been like what, two months?" Yang pondered out loud. She waved the thought off and asked with genuine interest, "Anything new and exciting on your end?"

Velvet hummed and shook her head sadly. "A small pack of wandering beowolves were spotted nearby, but Sun took care of it before I could even get my coat on."

The blonde noticed the jealousy sprinkling over Velvet's words. While the older woman had never verbalized her wish to return to active duty, those around her had deduced as much and brought it to Weiss' attention. The SDC's proprietress had known from the moment she hired her and was more than willing to grant it, but refused to do anything until Velvet put the request in herself.

"You can always ask Weiss to hook you up with a few field missions," the brawler suggested trying to breach the subject carefully. "Gotta suck being stuck in a boring hospital everyday."

"Now you know full well it isn't all _that_ boring here. Where else can you find a patient with an intact light bulb shoved up their rectum? In a hospital, that's where! But in all honesty, it's literally been years since I've done otherwise. I can't do much on my own," Velvet admitted bitterly, but didn't shy away, "and the group missions we receive are too much for me to keep up with. I'd slow everyone down or worse."

"Don't say that, you're an amazing huntress!" Yang exclaimed trying to cheer up her friend, she absolutely hated it when someone she cared about was down in the dumps. "I was with you and Coco that one time, and you were all 'wah-cha, wa-pow and wooo-ha!' Never thought I'd see a timid little bunny-girl kick so much ass, and don't even get me started on those badass bunny bombs of yours."

"Maybe just a little," Velvet winked with a girlish giggle, "and they were missiles."

"That split apart into bombs."

"Fine."

Shortly after graduation, the team Velvet had spent four years training with disbanded; finding a new one to join was more trouble than it was worth. And even though she was more than capable enough to handle things on her own, she didn't like the solitary life.

Velvet's shy personality and reluctance to interact with others made it difficult to find work, so she reluctantly gave up her life as a huntress and returned home to Vacuo. There she worked two low income jobs to make ends meet for three long, agonizing years. Everyday was a struggle to provide for herself and help settle the debts her family had accumulated over the years.

In a desperate attempt to fend the loneliness off, she tried to keep in touch with her former teammates. Unfortunately, time had taken its toll on their friendship and forced their paths to diverge.

Coco, unable to resist the jaw-dropping paycheque, had taken up the Dust Dog mantle from the get go. The brunette was rarely ever in the city, always off galavanting around Remnant wreaking havoc and raiding clothing stores. Coco's inability to stay in one city for more than a week made her difficult to contact, even Weiss had trouble keeping track of her sometimes.

Fox had dropped all forms of communication, but was nice enough to send a cute holiday greetings card every year.

Yatsuhashi had been the only one who willingly stayed in contact. He visited her from time to time in Atlas, and was currently considering taking up a position as a Chevalier.

Life was tough and unfulfilling, but that all changed when a certain boisterous blonde literally bursted through the doors of her day job.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

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><p>Fresh out of Beacon and eager to start a revolution, Yang's first mission as an official Dust Dog was to find the rabbit Faunus and give her an offer she couldn't refuse. The burning beauty relayed Weiss' instructions with a bit of ad libbing here and there. Velvet listened attentively, but couldn't resist the cynical thoughts when she recalled all the times the White Fang had made similar grandiose promises. When Yang finished speaking, she handed her old friend a folder containing a contract several pages thick. Velvet leafed through it, swallowed her pride and signed her name on the dotted line. True to her word, Yang had given her an offer she couldn't refuse.<p>

When she informed her family of her new career path, they were outraged. Word spread out like wildfire in the tiny Faunus community she grew up in. Velvet tried to reason with them, explaining as best as she could that she hadn't signed up for the money or forgotten about their past actions. All she wanted was to make a difference in the world, but their hearts and mind were closed off, too blinded by their anger.

Without her family's support, Velvet moved to Atlas and began her studies. The SDC funded her medical research, giving her the chance to travel the world helping the less fortunate. In her first year as a Chevalier, she had done more for her people than any protest or rally. The Faunus woman had never believed in anyone as much as she believed in her employer.

Over the years, Velvet found herself within Weiss Schnee's inner circle of friends. This entitled her to many things, but the most important privilege was something money could not buy or ever hope to replace. When Shining Beacon was completed the heiress had left more than just the hospital and its staff in Velvet's care, she was entrusted to protect Weiss' dearest treasure: Ruby Rose.

Shaking her head, Velvet returned Yang's beaming smile. While she missed the thrill of the hunt, she was more than happy with the easy-going life she had now. "Thank you, but I'm content with being an amazing doctor."

"Hm, if you say so." Stroking her chin, Yang cranked the dusty cogwheels in her brain. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why not tag along with me next time me and my crew head out? With Blakey up the duff, Team BYRN is too unbalanced."

"Yang, there's no need to lie," Velvet cocked an eyebrow, she was onto the blonde's game. "You just want me for the 'V'. No shame in being honest."

Yang's face contorted with a large palette of emotions as she struggled to formulate a witty comeback, but the smug smile gracing Velvet's rosy lips had done her in. Yang admitted defeat, hands raised high above her golden head.

"Am I really that predictable?" The Faunus' dull stare pierced through Yang's defenses like a bullet. "A-Anyway, did'ja see the the news?"

Nodding, the rabbit replied, "Blake was really something else today. For someone who's normally so quiet and reserved, that passion was surprising." Velvet couldn't help but laugh at herself as she thought back on how she used to be. "It's a refreshing side of her that I really enjoy seeing."

"I love it when she's feisty," Yang boasted with a wink, seemingly back to her cheery self, "that's why I married her."

"Glad to see you two are still so lovey-dovey."

"If that's what you want to call it."

The joy in their laughter faded away as a heavy silence settled in. The Dust Dog and the Dust Bunny exchanged a series of looks before shifting their conversation to a more serious matter. Velvet and Yang had tried their best to act normally, but they couldn't ignore the fact that they were not alone in that eerily quiet room.

Resting peacefully, oblivious to the world around her, was Ruby Rose—or at least what used to be Ruby.

Yang began pacing around the room in deep thought, her sister had been in the hospital for nearly a year—seven months to be exact—and it was a miracle that she was even alive.

A routine mission gone horribly wrong had rendered the vermillion huntress in critical condition. From head to toe, her slender body was covered with deep lacerations, several puncture wounds, third degree burns caused by Yang herself, and a multitude of broken bones.

Atlas' best Surgeons worked on Ruby's near irreparable body for over twenty-four hours straight trying to save her life. She had flatlined on the operating table a number of times only to be resuscitated moments after. The young woman had been standing at death's door when she finally stabilized.

Ruby had survived through the night, but the intensive damage left her in a comatose state. The doctors handling the huntress said that the chances she would ever regain consciousness were slim to none. And even though the harsh reality of Ruby's condition loomed over them, Weiss rallied those closest to Ruby refusing to give up hope.

Ruby was the sort of woman who defied the boundaries of logic by either dumb luck or by brute force. And lo and behold, four months later her strong will proved the crepe hanging doctors wrong. Ruby's body was recovering without complications, and her aura was getting stronger by the day, it wouldn't be long till she could be given a clean bill of health. However, the incident had one unfortunate aftereffect that hindered her progression. The trauma her brain underwent had robbed Ruby of her memories, but she was alive and well and that was all that mattered.

"She's been out like a light all day," Yang let out a vulgar grumble and swung at the air to vent out her frustrations, "I swear she's doing this on purpose just to avoid me."

"Listen here friend, you and I both know that isn't true. Ruby was conscious yesterday for most of the evening playing a boardgame with Weiss," Velvet explained with a warm smile trying to console the blonde. "They were having so much fun."

"Who won?" Yang didn't have to think hard to figure it out.

"Try and guess," the doctor replied coyly. "Weiss looked so confused, though I was worried she was going to flip the table when she lost, but she accepted defeat amicably."

Yang nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, she knows how to surprise a gal. I swear if she weren't so prickly, I probably would've gone after her myself—eh yeah, actually nevermind. Scratch that."

"I don't think there's anyone other than Ruby who can tame that lone wolf."

"Haha, no kidding! Kaspar's at least sorta manageable. She may look like the Ice Queen's carbon copy, but that girl is definitely _all_ Ruby," Yang said trying to get a laugh from her friend. Her smile faded when she noticed Velvet was lost in thought. "Something on your mind, cottontail?"

"Yes, since you've been gone I haven't had the chance to properly tell you that Ruby's headaches are getting worse by the day." Velvet cupped her chin between her thumb and pointer finger, "Most of them happen after she's left alone, and the frequency a nosebleed accompanies it are increasing dramatically."

This caught the elder sister's attention, she silently urged the Faunus to continue. Velvet looked down at her feet finding the tiles friendlier than Yang's piercing gaze.

"Keep this between us, but I think Ruby might be trying to force her memory back," Velvet dared to look at her fellow huntress and regretted it almost immediately. "Whether or not she's doing this consciously isn't up for me to say. I wish I could give you concrete information, but already I'm at my wit's end with this."

Grimly, Yang bit the inside of her cheek. "Have you told Weiss?"

"I did, just not the memory part. She'd probably have me fired for coming up with something so preposterous." Velvet shuddered, "She was not happy."

"Understandable, this is harder on the Weiss-in-law than it is for any of us," Yang said sadly, trying to force out her sunny disposition by joking. "I just hope Ruby'll remember us soon, or at least accept Kas… poor kid."

Yang's sombre thoughts drifted over to the next Schnee in line, her tiny four-year-old niece, Blanc "Kaspar" Rose-Schnee. Being born a Schnee entitled her to a life many could only dream of, yet the girl never let it get to her head; Blanc was as modest as they could come. The precocious child was a testament to the Schnee family's pedigree, and Yang thanked her lucky stars the girl didn't inherit the matriarch's sharp-tongue.

"They worked so hard to make sure she didn't grow up like the way they did," Yang mumbled finding comfort in Velvet's presence. "I don't want to watch Kas go through what Ruby did when Mom…"

"Don't write your fearless leader off yet. Her recovery is going smoothly," Velvet said adding a brighter note to their conversation. She walked up to the brooding woman and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Just be patient, Ruby will bounce back like she always does."

"Can't wait," she replied sarcastically, "then I'll have to put up with her and Weiss' love-hate shouting matches."

Velvet clicked her tongue at Yang reprimandingly. "Lying really won't win you any brownie points; you miss their bickering. I miss it, too."

The two women looked away from each other feeling worse than before. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips, this wasn't good. She needed to buck up and fast.

"Serious gunk aside, you feeling up to have dinner with me and the fam-jam?" Yang spun around on her heels wearing a big, cheesy grin. "Weiss won't be cooking tonight, so don't hafta worry! You'll live to fight germs and other gross stuff another day."

Velvet blinked twice and laughed, "I would love to."

"Awesome! Just a fair warning though, it's my turn to get the grub. So hope you don't mind take-out," Yang sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "The kid'll be happy to see you by the way."

The rabbit Faunus clapped with glee, she loved that little girl like her own. "Blanc's back from her trip?"

"Yeah, she just got back toda—"

"Ahem, sorry to interrupt," a third voice chimed in joining the conversation, "but what was that about my cooking?"

Suddenly, Yang felt the room temperature drop a few degrees when the glare her teammate sent hit its mark. How the scowling woman stayed wrinkle-free was beyond her simple comprehension. Yang tried to swallow the persistent lump jammed in her throat and did her best to keep her teeth from chattering as she tried to greet Weiss.

"H-Hey, would you look at what the Blakey dragged in!" she gulped. "It's my favourite sister-in-law! You're here, uh... early."

Behind Velvet, looking absolutely livid, was Weiss R. Schnee in all of her magnificent, icy glory. Saying that the scowling woman was a natural born beauty would have been the largest convoluted lie conceived this century, but predetermined features aside, she was still a sight to behold. Reminiscent of a hulking iceberg, the aloof woman's good looks was just the tip of who she really was. Beneath the surface, engulfed by leagues of mind-numbingly cold waters, was the heiress' colossal heart of pure gold.

The heiress was dressed in a light-blue vest that had a golden chain hanging loosely from her left pocket. It was tethered securely to a 24-karat gold hunter-case pocket watch that she received from Ruby on their second wedding anniversary. Underneath her vest she wore a crisp white button-up shirt with a matching thigh-high pencil skirt that hugged her hips like a second skin. A long, off-centered slit ran up the face of her right thigh, giving way to a tantalizing sneak peek at the queen's alabaster skin. Snow-white knee-socks with the Schnee family crest embroidered on each side covered the rest of her perfectly shaped legs, leaving only a few heart pounding inches between it and her skirt. Weiss walked proudly on a pair of folded over, calf-high boots that raised her five inches off of the ground; they were white with light-blue accents and heels. It was difficult to command respect when everyone literally looked down on you.

"I'm your _only_ sister-in-law."

"What about Winter and Eis?" Velvet chimed in innocently mentioning the younger Schnees.

Weiss turned her frigid stare towards the rabbit-eared doctor making her flinch. "They don't count—not anymore."

"Aw, did someone get into a fight wiff der wittle sishters?" Yang gushed at her hotheaded friend teasingly.

Two fingers from a tightly balled fist shot out pointedly, they were aimed directly at the brawler's face waiting for their next command. Yang was painfully familiar with Weiss' exemplary mastery of Nature's Wrath and the hypnotizing hand motions she used to conduct her elemental symphony.

"Do not test me, Yang."

She gulped at the not so subtle threat directed at her. "I'll be good, I'll be good!"

"Hmph."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief when the gloved hand moved away, having a lightning charged fireball or icicle hurled point-blank at her beautiful face was not on the menu today. Whoever suggested that Weiss should start weaving dust into her clothing was pure evil. No one, especially the Ice Queen, should ever have that much power.

"What exactly did they do this time?" Velvet nervously asked.

"Those irresponsible, good-for-nothing miscreants do not deserve to be my sisters," Weiss growled irritably. "I had one request—one tiny request and they still managed to completely ignore it."

"Still drawing a blank, sis."

Weiss threw her hands up into the air in a huff and crossed her arms. She shifted her weight from her left foot to her right before looking at the mildly terrified blonde dead in the eye. "Tell me something," she said through tightly clenched teeth, "did you happen to read the latest issue of Vanity Flare?"

"The trashy fashion mag?"

"Yes," Weiss seethed, her nose crinkling at the bridge. "That one."

"No, what about it?"

"That belligerent idiot, Eis, thought it would be a grand idea to have Winter model her new winter line-up."

"Win's always been her go-to model though," Velvet quipped, still lost in the conversation.

"Yes, and frankly I find that they make a fantastic duo—whenever they remember Winter and _I_ look exactly the same!" the angry heiress raged, her voice going up two octaves. "My scroll's been going off non-stop all day because of them! And do you have any idea how difficult it is to have every issue of that godforsaken magazine pulled off the shelves?" Weiss ran her hand through her bangs and continued, "The internet is having a field day with it, and there's absolutely nothing I can do. My image is ruined."

"I'm going to guess Eis' new line is on the risque side of things?" Yang guessed trying to fill in the blanks of Weiss' story.

"Risque? _Risque_!? Risque does not even come close!" the white-haired woman replied shrilly.

It was a typical day whenever Weiss, Winter and Eis fought. To those who weren't familiar with the headstrong Schnee sisters, their conversations could easily be misinterpreted for a declarations of war. But Ruby explained that scathing insults, acerbic remarks and nasty glares were the unofficial warm greetings for the Ice Princess language. And the easiest way to get used to it, was to put them on mute and picture pleasant subtitles. However, when it didn't involve her sisters, Ruby, or anyone the heiress deigned worthy of her acknowledgement, Weiss' mordant words held no furtive meaning. If she said a someone was a "putrescent sodding pile of opprobrious odure," it was safe to assume that this person was not on her good side.

Weiss had always been surreptitious, snide and prudent when it came to her family and relatives. She never spoke about them, and when she did it was never pleasant. Coming from a close knit-family like the Rose-Xiao Long, Yang felt disturbed but then she saw why firsthand.

After announcing their sudden marriage, Weiss' mother held a grand celebration to inaugurate the new branch added to the family tree. No, "celebration" wasn't the proper word to describe it. There was nothing enjoyable—except for the free food and champagne—or jubilus about it. The event was more like a vicious shark tank than a friendly family gathering.

* * *

><p><strong>Five Years Ago<strong>

* * *

><p>Bloodthirsty aristocrats circled around Weiss and Ruby like a pack of hungry wolves. They eyed their prey carefully in wait for an opportune moment to strike. Yang and Blake watched in awkward silence from their table, sipping on some of the best champagne they had ever tasted. Neither could stand each other's presence at the moment, but the newlyweds literally begged for them to be there. Whether it was as their guests or as undercover bodyguards, the quarreling women weren't quite sure.<p>

Yang crinkled her nose at the scene, downing the rest of her fizzy beverage impatiently. Her sister's wife made it clear that Yang needed stay out of the crowd, at first she didn't understand why but understood after the first ten minutes of the gathering; she was prepared to burn the castle down at any second.

A new glass of champagne was placed next to her right-hand side by an attentive waiter. She handed him her empty glass and nodded her gratitude, but instead of walking away he straightened his back and tried to strike up a conversation.

"Friend of Ms—pardon me—Mrs. Schnee?" the server asked, his voice deep and husky.

Yang quirked a brow to acknowledge his presence, she was too busy to watching over her family to care about what anyone had to say to her. "Sister-in-law." She pointed to the top hatted woman two seats away and said, "she's the friend."

"Hello," the waiter looked at Blake, smiling kindly. She had been in the middle of taking a bite of her food when she momentarily paused, fork suspended inches away from her parted lips. Blake narrowed her golden eyes and took the bite. She kept her head facing forward, chewing as slowly as she could. "Not the talkative type is she?"

"Nah, not really."

"I-I see…" he scratched the back of his head nervously, "well I'm glad I decided to talk to you first."

"If you're coming onto me—_don't_."

"Spoken for already then," the stranger gulped, "where is the lucky gent, mingling with the party guests I assume?"

"_She_ couldn't attend," the blonde said placing extra emphasis on the feminine pronoun. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Blake's ramrod straight back slack.

"Forgive me, I didn't intend to come off as such."

"Then why are you still here?" Yang questioned him skeptically.

Shifting the glass he carried to his other hand, the young man explained, "You were the first person kind enough to speak to me this evening."

"I see," Yang hummed quietly, feeling a smidgen of guilt for jumping to conclusions. "Then grab a seat and hangout with me for a bit. And if anyone gives you any trouble, you can just say Weiss' personal guest said so." Placing Yang's old glass on the table, he eagerly took the offered seat. "So, what's your name buddy?"

"Mikhail Schnee, heir to the Schnee Dust Weapons Industry, and Weiss' least favourite cousin might I add. And you?"

"Y-Yang… Yang Xiao Long—wow, you're gorgeous," Yang sputtered, staring at her new friend in pure disbelief.

Mikhail was tall and lean with slicked back silver hair. And just like Weiss, he had flawless pale skin and sharp, well-defined features that made him irresistibly handsome. His smoldering ice-blue eyes were nearly identical to her sister-in-law's, except instead of being stuck in a perpetual glare, Mikhail's were half-lidded with the gentle intensity of a caring older brother.

"At last our eyes meet!" Mikhail cheered with a broad grin. "And I have to admit, you have the loveliest shade of lilac eyes I've ever seen. Your girlfriend is a lucky woman."

Yang sputtered trying to find her voice, "Um, thanks, Man-Weiss—you sure you aren't hitting on me?"

"Man-Weiss?" he blurted out too stunned for words. "I've never heard that one before!"

"Sorry, you just look exactly like her… it's actually kind of creepy."

He waved it off and leaned back into his chair. "Thank you for the _compliment_, but it'll take more than that to butter me up. You should at least buy me dinner first."

"Haha, a Schnee with a sense of humour, never thought I'd see the day!" Yang exclaimed in laughter. She slammed her hand down on the table twice unable to control herself.

"If you think I'm funny, you should meet Winter. You have met her right?"

"Winter who now?"

"Winter Schnee," Mikhail stared at Yang's blank stare curiously, "you're telling me you haven't met Weiss' sister?"

"She has a sister?" This was news to her.

"Twin sister," Mikhail smiled, "identical."

"You have got to me shitting me." The mirth faded away from Yang's laughter leaving it dryer than a desert. "I can barely handle one Weiss, now there's another and some dude who looks exactly like her!?"

"She has two sisters actually."

"Crap, seriously?"

"And it isn't just me, my fair lady. There are a number of us, and really anyone that's worth calling a 'Schnee' look exactly the same."

"But you and Weiss are the only ones like that here."

Mikhail tilted his head back with a sigh. "Correct."

"So shouldn't everyone here be a 'Schnee'?"

"Nope," he replied, anxiously fidgeting with his bowtie. "We're related, but that's all. Being a Schnee is… hm, I guess the closest thing I can say without sounding rude, is that we're a V.I.P club with limited membership. Emphasis on the word limited."

"Huh?"

"Hold on a second, your sister married into the family, and Weiss has never explained our unique _circumstances_?"

It wasn't a secret that Weiss was the product—the poster child—of successful, and slightly unethical, eugenic practices. The Schnee family had spent generations weeding the weak out of their lineage, they even went as far as revoking the power behind the name from those born without the telltale features that belonged to a true Schnee. The dynasty was even stricter when it came to who could marry into the family.

The exact specifics of how and why escaped Yang's thoughts, but Weiss' disgruntled explanation summed it up fairly well. It went somewhere along the lines of: "blah blah blah Schnee… blah blah blah forced to marry my cousin. Blah blah blah—sneer—blah blah, like god damn cattle. Blah blah blah—goes off tangent—blah blah blah."

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Yang admitted, "She probably did, but I tune her out as soon as she opens her mouth."

Mikhail's face was a strange cross between astonishment and surprise. "You and my dear cousin, Weiss, must be very close if you can ignore her and live to tell the tale."

"If that's what you wanna call it, then yeah we're pretty close. Princess has a bad habit of gettin' all up in muh grill about everything." Yang bitterly snarled as she dug up a few bad memories. She cleared her throat and did her best imitation of the Schnee Heiress. "For the thousandth time, stop using my weapon as a toothpick you barbaric ignoramus!"

"W-Wait, let me get this straight. You used our family heirloom as a—as a toothpick?" Mikhail eyed her in ghastly disbelief. "How are you still alive, that's what I want to know now."

"I've also used it as a barbecue stick, but you didn't hear that from me."

"My lips are sealed."

"Pissing Weiss off is a hobby of mine," the blonde proudly smirked. "She can't do anything about it either. "

"Really now?"

Yang shrugged. "Well she tried, but she gave up and started to roll with the punches."

"Wow, are you sure this is the same woman?"

"Shriller than a hyped up chihuahua, flat as a board, holier-than-thou," Yang rested her head in the palm of her hand, sheepishly grinning from ear to ear, "and hopelessly in love with my baby sister?"

Curiously, Mikhail traced Yang's tender gaze and found himself melting as well. "Yup, same woman."

Weiss' mother, Adeline Schnee, had noticed Ruby was close to having a panic attack. She swiftly remedied the situation by offering the couple a chance to escape.

Pressing her back against a thick marble pillar, far away from her extended family's scrutinizing glares, Ruby R. Schnee had her arms wrapped loosely around her lover's waist. The crimson huntress was desperately trying to calm down and avoid a scene. She rested her forehead against Weiss', eyes shut tight while her brows furrowed together in frustration. Ruby was a Schnee now, and being a Schnee was equivalent to having a bright neon target painted on you.

Ruby concentrated hard on her mantra, _You're doing this for Weiss. You're doing this for Weiss._

She had been the Schnee heiress' exclusive girlfriend for two years, her wife for only a month, and already the poor teen had been subjected to an insurmountable number of fastidious soirees. Weiss had always honest with her partner whenever she was invited to one; her elite social standing meant she couldn't decline without risking an incursion. And to make matters worse, it would have been social suicide if Weiss went alone. She had to have a date with her, it didn't even matter if she showed up with different man each time. Ruby refused to allow anyone take her place beside Weiss, so she attended each event her lover was invited to and the wealthy woman was more than happy to walk hand-in-hand with her.

Weiss looked up at Ruby full of concern; she knew this was going to happen, but couldn't do a thing to stop it. Being a Schnee was not for the weak hearted. The introverted eighteen-year-old knew exactly what lied ahead for her when she chose Weiss. The older woman placed her hands around Ruby's neck to help cool her down, the simple gesture had become instinctual to her over the years whenever Ruby needed to calm down. She thanked her body's poor circulation profusely for this quirky advantage.

Yang and Mikhail couldn't hear a word they said, but the way Weiss' eyes softened told them she was telling everything Ruby needed to hear. They leaned in for a kiss that lasted only a second; the intimacy worked wonders the redhead's nerves.

"Aw, ain't that just the Schneetest thing ever?" the new friends said at the same time. Immediately, blue and lavender eyes stared at each other in shock. "Did we just?" they paused, "I think we—okay, stop it."

Mikhail broke the chain in a heavy fit of laughter, "Forgive me, I couldn't resist the urge."

"How did you?"

"Magic?" he shrugged. "Take it or leave it, that's all I'm willing to say."

They continued to talk about anything and everything for the next hour until all hell broke loose in the winter themed ballroom.

Yang didn't know when or how, but in the blink of an eye she instantly found herself next to her sisters' in a defensive stance; her gauntlets had sprung to life, shielding her tightly clenched fists. To her left, the furious heiress glared daggers at a large man who shared her eye colour. Weiss winced in pain as she grazed her fingers against her reddening cheek. Her uncle may have been old, but the aristocrat was still strong enough to cut through her aura.

"Bartholomew, how dare you raise a hand against me!" Weiss seethed, her pearly white teeth bared for all to see.

The man named Bartholomew scoffed indignantly as he returned her glare tenfold.

"You've brought dishonor to the Schnee name by parading around with this low born—this filthy commoner!" he shouted out in a traducing tone that shook his jowls.

Yang moved to protect her family, but Weiss' swift hand stopped her from taking another step. She reluctantly backed down and allowed her teammate to handle the situation. Mikhail held her shoulder, shaking his head in warning telling her to avoid conflict.

"Two years, Weiss. You've wasted two years with that child hanging off of your arm, and now you have the nerve to take her as your bride?"

"Cut to the chase, Uncle. Are you challenging my claim?" a much calmer Weiss asked, a gruff nod was Bartholomew's answer. "Fine, I accept. However, I'm going to need someone to champion for me."

"Grown soft have you now, niece?" Bartholomew puffed out his chest to prove his superiority. "And here I thought you were training to become a world-class huntress, but I assume you were too busy fornicating with that heathen to pay attention to your lessons."

Weiss' sky-blue eyes shined in bemusement, her scowl lifting to a fragile smile. "You're not wrong, uncle, but you're not right either." She stepped back and allowed Ruby to take her place.

The stinging pain Bartholomew's backhand inflicted was long forgotten, and the imprint quickly fading into obscurity.

"Unfortunately I've been forbidden from participating in any strenuous activity for the next year or so," Weiss explained with faux disappointment, the not-so-subtle implication that she was expecting shocked her stupefied relatives. She placed both hands on top of her lover's right shoulder, and rested her head over her fingers. "So if you don't mind, I'll just let my sweetheart here do all the_ talking_."

"Does this mean I can finally get out of this stupid dress?" Ruby jumped in excitedly.

Weiss scoffed at her, "Do you know how expensive that dress is? It's a Koko Hekma—"

"Mikhail!" Weiss' uncle bellowed interrupting Weiss' conversation with Ruby.

The handsome man next to Yang yelped in fright, it took all the courage he had not to cower behind the the well-armed woman.

"Get over here now, boy."

Mikhail dropped his head in defeat, and walked over to his furious father dragging his heels. Yang reached out to him, but let her hand fall when she saw his tired, empty eyes.

"You called father?"

"You will challenge the street urchin, and don't you dare lose. Do you understand?"

"I want no part in this," the white-haired man protested timidly. "This is Weiss and Ruby's celebration, please don't try to upstage them."

Bartholomew's face was redder than Ruby's dress when he stood face to face with his son.

"Gather your equipment and wait in the dueling room," he commanded without hesitation. Mikhail looked at Weiss apologetically and left the ballroom. "You may have defeated him when you were children, but your little pet won't last a second against my son."

"We'll see about that," Weiss replied with an all knowing smile.

The heiress' uncle turned around to leave, but had his path blocked by a less than friendly looking Faunus in disguise. Blake stared down at him with a killer smile as he tried to push past her, but the woman's body didn't budge.

"Move aside, wretch."

"As you wish," Blake tipped her hat down as she swept her hand over her head, performing a courteous bow before moving aside. The Faunus crossed her arms, carefully eyeing her friend's uncle.

Bartholomew scoffed at her and took a step only to come crashing down with a loud "thud". He quickly scrambled to his feet, brushed off his suit and followed after Mikhail in a pitiful attempt to stave off his family's laughter and mocking stares.

"Was that really necessary, Blake?" Weiss asked nonchalantly, having already figured out what her stealthy teammate did.

"He attacked my friends, he's lucky he still has his legs." The dark haired woman quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the heiress' direction and flicked her wrist. A thin thread, barely visible to the naked eye, glistened under the incandescent light for a fraction of a second before disappearing. "And I've always wanted to humiliate a Schnee," she added in a hushed tone only her comrades could hear.

Shaking her head wearily, Weiss motioned for her friends to follow her. The huntresses walked behind the heiress in single file, strutting about like menacing bodyguards to intimidate any Schnee stupid enough to get too close. Unfortunately for them, their parading went largely unnoticed. The woman leading their charge cleaved through her mother's terrified guests like an icy greatsword—no one dared to stand in her way.

Yang whistled in genuine surprise at the cowering partygoers left in their wake. "You really know how to scare the shit out of old people, sis." The brawler had gotten into the habit of referring to Weiss as family shortly after she and Ruby began dating.

"Uncle challenged my claim before, I put him and his family in their place when I came out victorious. This will be no different."

"Shoved the pointy sword where the sun don't shine?"

"With extreme precision."

A shudder ran up the blonde's spine at the ruthless tone Weiss employed. "Phew, thank god I'm on your side, princess."

"We'll see about that."

They reached Weiss' personal quarters within minutes. Ruby was changing into her combat gear inside the jointed bathroom while Weiss, Blake and Yang sat on the heiress' bed in quiet conversation.

Weiss explained that she knew her uncle was going to attempt a coup d'etat when the news her father was gravely-ill spread. Mikhail and her mother had been her co-conspirators and helped stage the whole event. Ruby was in on the plan as well, she was their trump card afterall.

Those considered to be a true Schnee refused to participate in Bartholomew's overthrow. Weiss had earned her claim to the Schnee Dust Company, and as nobles they respected her determination. When invitations were sent out, they all coincidentally found themselves with previous commitments to attend to.

It was the lesser-Schnee who sought blood. Having been born without the family's signature white hair and blue eyes, or having simply married into the family, meant they had no claim to any of the companies. They were as good as commoners despite being wealthy on their own accord. And from all the heirs and heiresses, they saw Weiss as the weakest of all. She was the youngest with naive ideals spawned from her time in Beacon. And if her hold wasn't weak enough, she had chosen to marry out of the family to a woman without a notable background. This not only lessened her chances of producing an heir with her specific traits, but it also left room to argue that Ruby was unfit to be a Schnee.

Weiss' plan was to goad her uncle into a frenzy. If he issued a challenge, Ruby would step up. If she won—no, when she won, Ruby would display her strength in front of Weiss' relatives, and cement her place as a Schnee. It was a little barbaric for the heiress who planned it, but the silly squabble to see who had a longer weapon was common to the aristocratic.

"That is devious," Blake mumbled, "and you're sure there was no other way?"

"If there was, I would have thought about it already," Weiss said as she absentmindedly played with a forelock. "Even if my parents approve of her, as long as my grandfather and the rest of my relatives disapprove we won't have a moment's peace."

"Haha, you and your uncle are seriously arguing about who's got the bigger dick!" Yang slapped the heiress on the back causing her to lurch forward. "So much for taking the high road."

"For a lack of better words," Weiss grimaced as she rubbed her aching shoulder blade. "And you really should avoid hitting pregnant woman like that."

"Sorry, still getting used to the whole bun in the oven thing."

"It's alright, but please try and remember."

"Will do, seriously though—I'm super sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Ruby said as she exited the bathroom armed to the teeth, ready for a fight. She sauntered up to her friends and took a seat next to Weiss. "Babe, you mind?"

Weiss reached out to smooth her champion's waist long hair preparing to braid it, she took great care in her actions making sure each pass was even.

"So how you gonna go about this, lil'sis?" Yang asked confident in her sister's skill.

"I was thinking of maybe going in guns blazing, but I still need to impress those pricks—no offense, Weiss."

"None taken," the older woman said nonchalantly ignoring her wife's aspersion, she was focused on weaving the huntress' hair to care.

"Man, this is getting way outta control if you ask me."

Weiss looked over the cloaked woman's shoulder smirking playfully. "It's a good thing we didn't ask you then."

"Why you little…" Yang glowered, narrowing her gaze. She instinctively moved to lash out at the white-haired witch, but recalled her earlier promise. Yang relaxed her muscles and opted to poke Weiss' cheek instead. "I'll get you for that later."

"Theatrics come with being a Schnee, Yang." Ruby tutted both her teammates, "Weiss just makes it look good."

"You haven't been a Schnee for more than a month, and you're already acting like one of 'em."

"Does this mean you don't want the free stuff you get?" the redhead beamed, playing along. "Because I could use the new car, gadgets and all that fancy stuff _my_ wifey tosses your way."

"..." Yang sighed in defeat, "Damnit, stop making being a Schnee sound awesome."

"There are a lot of pros and cons to being one," Ruby began thoughtfully, she looked over at Weiss who was adding the final touches to her braid. "But the best thing about being a Schnee is being with Weiss. Yup, bestest part!"

A heavy blush erupted on the heiress' face as she tied Ruby's favourite white ribbon to the end of her braid before shoving the taller girl off of her bed. "D-Don't say things like that so suddenly!" she stammered uncontrollably.

"Ow…" Ruby rubbed her sore bottom chuckling softly. "Love you too, babe."

"Are we ready to leave?" Blake asked.

"Right you are," Weiss sighed in exhaustion, thankful for Blake's intervention. The sooner they finished this, the sooner she could rest; her feet were killing her. "Come Ruby, let's get a move on."

The redhead tugged on various places of her outfit trying to get comfortable. The infernal thing was brand new, Wolfram had given it to her personally as a wedding gift. She was grateful, they were top of the line, but it was an odd feeling to be walking around in dust infused clothing. They were… pinchy.

"Ruby," Weiss called out.

"Hm?" Ruby picked up her pace to walk alongside her.

"Be careful out there, okay?"

"Aw, is my wittle snowfwake worried about me?"

"Absolutely not—and how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!"

Ruby grinned broadly and slung an arm around the grouchy heiress' shoulders. "I'll be uber careful, so don't you worry!" She kissed Weiss' cheek and said, "I'm combat ready!"

"Combat ready or not, the one I worried about isn't _you_. While Mikhail isn't completely worthless," the edge in Weiss' voice did little to mask her nervousness, "he will still be going after you seriously. I need you to hold back—I mean it."

"Gotcha."

"Please try not to kill him, he's one of the few decent Schnees left."

"You're such a softie," Ruby teased. "But that's what I love about you."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Present<strong>

* * *

><p>"Velvet, I'm glad to see you are in good health," Weiss said to the doctor, there was still a subtle edge in her tone. "I assume you've been invited to dinner?"<p>

"Yes, I would be delighted to join." Velvet smiled at her employer, "Oh, I saw the interview, it went well I think."

"Ah, Blake and I had ball at Gerald's expense on our way here," a vindictive smirk spread on the beautiful woman's face, "that'll teach him to call me a midget behind my back."

"Are you still sore about that?" Yang asked, the glare she received confirmed her suspicion. "Yup, still pissed."

The blonde shook her head and patted her boss' head. There had been a time when doing that would have cost Yang her life, but Weiss felt it alright to let her continue breathing since they were legally family.

"Keep that up and I'll skewer you."

"Bring it on porcupine."

"I don't have time to be arguing with a degenerate chimp_yang_zee!" Weiss exclaimed angrily.

"Wow, that was..." The blonde stared at the heiress slack-jawed.

Velvet picked up where she left off, "Rather surprising."

Yang and Velvet stared at their diminutive boss wide eyed and mouths agape. Weiss Schnee, CEO of the SDC, notorious Snow Queen, and all around buzzkill, had just made a joke and it wasn't half bad.

"Enough dillydallying, Blake's waiting in the car for us."

"Let me go grab my things real quick; I'll meet you out there." Velvet sped away leaving her co-workers behind.

Yang took the silent request and left Weiss alone with Ruby, she knew how the sharp-tongued woman operated. It may have taken her six years, but she finally understood what her little sister saw in the noblewoman.

Once she was alone, the stoic heiress allowed herself to relax. She quietly made her way to the slumbering girl's bedside, slipping her hand gently under Ruby's. Weiss took note of how thin she had gotten in the past seven months. It pained her to see the person she loved withering away to nothing, but she had already done everything in her power to assist. The rest was up to the young woman and her will to live.

Weiss refused to be the vortex of depression her small circle of friends expected her to be. Ruby had never failed her, and she wasn't going to start anytime soon. Not if Weiss could help it.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

* * *

><p>"Hello my darling, you wouldn't believe the day I've had," Weiss cooed, she grasped the small hand within both of hers and brought it to her lips. Right on cue, drowsy molten silver eyes fluttered open; Weiss' heart melted at the sight. It felt like aeons had passed by since she was last able to lose herself in those irises. "I see you've been busy sleeping the day away. Have any good dreams to share?"<p>

Ruby stared past Weiss blinking slowly trying to adjust to her surroundings, head still fuzzy from sleep. When the blurry images swirling around her began to sharpen, Ruby furiously shook her head finally coming to. And to her delight, Weiss' perplexed expression was the first thing she saw.

Unable contain her excitement, Ruby launched herself at the other woman; Weiss' exemplary balance kept them from taking a nasty fall. The white-haired woman did her best to hold on to her partner without causing injury, but it was a difficult task seeing how the squirming girl was suspended precariously between her and the bed.

_Only you could make a suspension bridge look cute,_ Weiss thought to herself wistfully.

"You came today!" chanted Ruby while she nuzzled into her favourite source of warmth. She inhaled the familiar fruity scent of the heiress' perfume, relishing the tangible dream she held in her arms. "You came, you came, you came!"

"Yes, you hyper little puppy. I made a promise to come see you yesterday, now hold on for a second," Weiss commanded with ardor as she struggled to put the girl back in her place.

Ruby forced back a grunt when a paroxysm of pain shot through her lower back. Weiss didn't notice, seemingly too preoccupied detangling herself from Ruby's lithe arms. The girl did everything she could to keep the white-haired woman's attention away from her pain stricken face.

"Weiß, I dun wanna let go!" the redhead childishly complained.

"Hush, you."

It made absolutely no sense at all. She knew next to nothing about the snowy angel who comported herself with grace and dignity, yet Ruby felt that she _needed_ to be next to her at all times. Weiss was more to her than just a person paying for her medical bills, that much was obvious. And it was that sentiment what made "Ruby" decide it would be alright to play along for now.

"I've been waiting for you," the girl said with a lock of Weiss' ivory hair held gently in her right hand. She loved how the silken strands slipped between her fingers strand by strand.

Bringing Ruby's blanket up, Weiss tucked in her amnesiatic partner. "Of course you did, and you know full well that I cannot stand to be away from you either."

"I missed you so much."

"I know, and… the feeling is," unsure of herself, Weiss cupped Ruby's cheek and watched her shiver from the chilly touch. Her melancholic gaze drifted from Ruby's wide-eyed expression to the golden ring she wore on her left hand, "The feeling is _mutual, _rest assured."

Weiss never directly mentioned who her husband was and his current whereabouts, but Ruby had seen Weiss stare at her wedding band sadly whenever they were alone. It didn't take much for her to put two and two together. She couldn't hate the guy if he was dead. But if she was wrong and he was alive, then Ruby wanted to know what moronic reason he had running through his peabrain that made him want to leave someone as amazing as Weiss.

Unable to handle the pathos reflected in Weiss' eyes any longer, Ruby pushed the covers off and slid herself into an upright position. She hid her discomfort underneath her bangs; the pain she struggled to suppress had flared up when Weiss laid her down. Not wanting to worry her overworked friend, Ruby gnawed the inside of her cheek and threw herself into Weiss' arms.

"Gah!" Weiss yelped in surprise.

The redhead giggled happily when Weiss began gently scolding her, only she could turn a brutal tongue lashing into a mellifluous sonata. A tiny kiss on the cheek put a sputtering end to the blushing queen's rambling. Ruby didn't understand why, but Weiss had this strange effect on her. Being held by her, spending time alone together, generally anything involving the infallible woman felt right.

"Ruby, be careful! You could have gotten hurt," she chided the redhead for her carelessness. Carefully, Weiss eased the girl back into bed and covered her once more. She narrowed her eyes at Ruby daring her to try and climb out of bed again. "Stay put or else no strawberries for the rest of the week."

She hated making Weiss worry, it dropped a heavy weight in her stomach every time—but it wasn't guilt. No, it was something else completely, and Ruby wasn't sure what to make of it. The feeling was most prevalent whenever the busy woman would come charging in for everything the whitecoats called a "small complication". It didn't even have to be major to have Weiss make the hour long drive to Shining Beacon from her office. But Ruby would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the mysterious emotions she derived from having Weiss wrapped around her little finger.

Though it made her feel awful to put Weiss through this emotional rollercoaster, it made her exorbitantly happy to see the snarling white wolf everyone feared come mewling to her feet, begging for her attention. This adorable, weak-willed side of the heiress was something only Ruby could bring out.

If it wasn't for Weiss' dedication, she wouldn't have minded throwing her former self out and starting over. Whoever she was before losing her memory didn't personally matter to her, but it meant everything to Weiss. And as it currently stands, Weiss meant _everything_ to her.

Trying to piece her former persona back together from what little information her "friends" offered, proved to be a more arduous task than she had originally anticipated. And even if she was doing this for Weiss, the more she learned about herself the less she wanted to go back. Over and over, Ruby tabulated her fragmented memories trying to find a common denominator that put her and Weiss together. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't wrap her head around Weiss' desire to be near her. By all logical outcomes, Weiss Schnee should have absolutely loathed her. Yet here she was taking the time to shower her with love and affection.

_You're doing this for Weiss, _Ruby breathed in deeply trying to ignore the pain,_ You're doing this for Weiss._

"You wouldn't."

"I would," Weiss said as she grabbed Yang's chair to allow herself a moment to enjoy her small break. She sat down reminiscing about how much she missed her pointless confabulation with the ebullient Ruby Rose. "And you know it."

"Alright, alright! You win this round, Weiß!" Ruby grumbled, accepting defeat bitterly. "Stinkin' Ice Queen, you're no fun at all."

"Hmph." Brushing her hair back, Weiss smiled warmly, "Silliness aside, I implore you to be more careful."

Ruby's best friend, a remarkable woman by all definition, who worked her fingers to the bone juggling a career, family, and never asking for anything in return other than a few moments with Ruby, deserved to be happy. And if that required her to be the lovable fool she missed, then Ruby would embrace the role to the nth degree. As long as she could be a source of joy for Weiss, to be her reason to smile, then it would be all worth it.

"Meh, that's boring. You'd never let me get hurt," Ruby debated as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she didn't have to pretend when she said that. Ruby knew that as long as Weiss was there, no harm would ever befall her. "You're my knight in expensive frilly clothes!"

The business woman's face blanched when the weight of Ruby's words washed over her; Weiss fought back the tears that threatened to slip past her crumbling defences. Ruby had finally regained some basic mobility after weeks of grueling physiotherapy. The rehabilitation process put a lot of stress, both physically and emotionally, on Ruby and Weiss' strained relationship. The heiress took whatever time she could afford to support Ruby through each session as a form of moral support, then she'd race back to the office after making sure her beloved returned to her room safely. It was a hectic time that took a heavy toll on Weiss' health, Ruby could see it on her face as clear as day, but she managed to stay afloat somehow.

Weiss clenched her jaw and stroked Ruby's hair affectionately, "You know full well I am no such thing."

"Nu uh, Weiß. You're the best; I love you!" The girl beamed at the older woman with verve. There wasn't a doubt in her mind and it showed in her innocent choice of words. "I really, really love you!"

Ruby could list everything she knew about the Ice Queen in one hand. Weiss was the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, an influential public figure, and the only huntress in the world who could make killing Grimm an artform. And by the sound of things—Ruby could only assume at this point—she was also a widowed single mother.

"I..." slate blue eyes darted away nervously, "I _care_ about you, too."

She couldn't bring herself to repeat those three special words. Weiss felt like she was in constant conflict with herself, locked forever within a spiraling chasm of denial. As much as she loved Ruby, the girl in front of her wasn't the one she fell so madly in love with all those years ago. This Ruby was little more than an innocent child trapped in a grown woman's body.

"Hey, Weiß?" Ruby called out in a meek voice.

Weiss looked up when she heard her mispronounced name. Patiently, she waited for Ruby to continue. The conflicted girl opened and closed her mouth several times trying to put the question that plagued her mind into words. A soft nod from the patient heiress gave her the final push she needed to grasp the nettle.

"Can I leave this place soon?" Ruby mentally slapped her forehead, _Damnit_.

Ruby's lips drooped in disappointment, her courage had absconded in the last second. Desperate for a way to save face, she asked a question she already knew the answer to. A soft hand brushed away the crimson locks across Ruby's forehead bringing her smile back.

"Yes, yes you may as soon as you get better." Weiss was telling the truth for the most part, she didn't want to give the girl any false hope. "When you can stand on your own two feet without help, I'll personally make sure you get to go home."

"Where did I live again?" she asked feigning inquietude. Yang had told her the answer when she first regained consciousness._ Just keep asking; don't give up._

"Hm?" Weiss wasn't expecting that.

A small part of Ruby was curious about the man who managed to tame Weiss Schnee. He had to have been nothing short of amazing. Now if only she could get Weiss to talk about the stupid bastard, then maybe whatever it was Ruby felt for the other woman would finally make itself clear. And as much as she refused to admit it, she was jealous someone else had the same power she has over her.

A somber laugh echoed in the room drowning out the distant whirring and beeping of various medical equipment. Weiss tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "In RWBY Manor with me, Yang, Blake, and Blanc. We're one big happy family."

"Right!" Ruby grinned ecstatically, "I have my own room and everything there right?"

"Mhm," the woman hummed not really interested in giving a proper response.

"And no mean, nasty nurses either?"

"Mh—" Weiss quirked a perfectly shaped brow, "Forgive me, but could you repeat that?"

"There's this super mean nurse who comes in every time someone makes a noise." Ruby crossed her arms, choler bubbling to the surface, "She was yelling at Yellow when she was watching Black on TV."

"Really now?"

Nodding her head, Weiss made sure file the complaint in her head. She had a feeling which nurse Ruby was talking about. When she had the time, Weiss was going to have a "friendly" chat with her about upsetting Shining Beacon's sole reason for existence.

"Yeah and she also made me eat broccoli."

"But you love broccoli. Mini-trees are Ruby-Rex's favourite vegetable!"

A single tear slid down Ruby's rosy cheek, "I know, but they were _mushy_. She made me eat it all, Weiß!"

"The fiend!" Weiss gasped in shock, her eyes growing wide in disbelief.

Ruby nodded her head vehemently, "And _carrots_. Don't even get me started on those orange abominations."

"I understand wholeheartedly. There is a special place in my castle's dungeon for villains like her," Weiss flipped her hair giving Ruby a manic grin. "Tell me my fair lady, what form of torture shall I have her endure?"

Ruby gave her friend a stern look and said in her most serious voice, "Brussel sprouts. Overcooked. And mushy."

"Thy will be done," Weiss complied with a bow. "But is that really enough? An eye for an eye, but quaggy broccoli and carrots—that's unforgivable!"

"Pfft," Ruby snickered, "did you just use a fancy word to avoid saying 'mushy'?"

A light pink dusted Weiss' cheeks, "S-Shut up! My reputation would go up in flames if I uttered such a-a…"

"Weiß, no offense, but 'quaggy' sounds way worse."

"It means quagmire," she scoffed, "perfectly reasonable word to use."

"So you're fine saying that, but not 'mushy'?" Ruby asked skeptically. Weiss nodded her head, lips tightly pursed. "Say it once. Just once. Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with pickles on the side?"

The woman in white clamped a hand over her mouth, bile threatening to rise up. Weiss' fair skin took on a pasty complexion, her body quaking in disgust. "Don't ever mention that vile 'P-word' around me."

"Please?" Ruby squeaked, she had never seen Weiss act like this before.

"No."

"Pretty?" she quipped, but the glare on the heiress' face told her she was wrong yet again.

"Stop. Don't say another word."

A wicked grin spread on Ruby's face like a wildfire, "Pickles!?"

"God damnit, Ruby Rose, what did I just say!?" Weiss shrieked, her left fist slamming into the wall beside her. The redhead she found herself inexplicably attracted to, rolled around on her bed clutching her sides, Ruby's trumpeting laughter did little to assuage Weiss' fury. "What did I just say!?"

"P-Pickles are awesome though!" Ruby managed to say between bursts. "They're sweet, tangy and crunchy—oh my god, it's a soggy potato chip!"

Weiss gagged, "I'm begging you, please stop…"

"Seriously, why all the hate?"

Slumping forward, Weiss buried her face into her hands. "I absolutely _loathe_ them. Even just the smell makes me want to vomit. I spent seven months engorging myself with those disgusting 'soggy potato chips'. I hated them—but I loved them. Ahaha, what a vicious cycle."

"Wow, sorry to hear that…" Ruby said lying through her teeth.

"And it was all. Your. Fault."

"What, mine!? What did I do?"

The heiress felt a vein on her temple throb, "You got me—"

A knock on the door interrupted their playful squabbling, a third presence entered the fray with a jaunty laugh. Ruby cursed whoever it was that disrupted her quality time with Weiss. And she could tell by the angry grinding her companion subjected her teeth to, she was not happy either.

"Sup?"

Standing by the doorframe was Sun Wukong. He was a tall, muscular monkey Faunus wearing most of the Chevalier uniform. Weiss had given up trying to get him to wear it properly a long time ago. The only reason why she didn't fire him on the spot was because he was a good friend, a competent employee and Ruby seemed to enjoy his company.

"Here for my shift, el capitano!" proclaimed the handsome young man. Weiss rolled her eyes at the distasteful sobriquet. He ignored his chilly friend and focused on Ruby. "Awesome, my boardgame buddy is awake! How ya feelin' today, red?"

"Banana boy!" Ruby called out happily when she saw the monkey Faunus confidently strut in. He was one of her favourite visitors next to Nora and Jaune. "I'm great now that Weiß is here."

"Aw, not excited to see me?" Sun pouted, crocodile tears streaming down his face. "I thought we were best buds! I feel hurt."

"We are, we are! It's just Weiß is specialer... if that's a word." Ruby looked at Weiss hoping for an answer, but the woman was busy glaring daggers at Sun, most likely blaming him for the current raucous. "I love, love, love her!"

Keeping her gaze trained on Sun, Weiss did her best to hide her discomfiture. Memories of her quiet moments with the redhead pervaded her thoughts. Hearing Ruby say she loved her brought a familiar heat to her cheeks.

The monkey-tailed man skipped over and propped his arm on Weiss' shoulder. "We all do kiddo," he said simperingly. "She's as lovely as a pineapple."

"Please believe me when I say that the feeling is far from reciprocated, you improperly dressed rapscallion," hissed the heiress pretending to take umbrage. Secretly, she was thanking him for his swift intervention.

"Like the clam?" Ruby asked, scratching her head in confusion.

Weiss looked at her sardonically and explained, "Those are scallops."

"Like the onion?" she asked feeling more confused than before.

"Those are scallions," Sun replied with a hearty chortle.

"Then what's a 'rapscallion'?"

The Ruby Rose they all knew was an impatient, impish character who refused to grow up. She also had a bad penchant to go on otiose explanations whenever she was asked a question. Everyone apparently loved and respected her despite all her flaws, but that person had numerous life experiences that helped shaped who she was. That Ruby had every right to be carefree and happy. The Ruby Rose right now, however, didn't have that luxury. All she had to hold onto was a boring hospital room she couldn't leave, an inexplicable fear of the dark, and the kindness of strangers.

And that there was the root of the problem: kindness. She could understand people like Yang and Blake, but Weiss was a complete enigma. The blonde, her cat-eared wife, and the charming monkey had no qualms telling her about themselves, but they never spoke about Weiss. No one ever spoke about Weiss… not even Weiss herself.

"Oh _Ruby_…" Weiss growled, sighing in exasperation.

Sun noticed his boss pinch the bridge of her nose, clearly running on the final dregs of her patience. He grinned devilishly at Weiss as he shifted his arm around her neck, and pulled her down to his bare chest. She struggled against him hissing insults left and right.

"Wukong, if you enjoy having that arm attached to your body, I highly recommend you remove it this instant before you force my hand."

Jumping back to avoid Weiss' wrath, Sun threw his hands in front of himself defensively, "No need for violence, boss lady!"

"Weiß, you're so cool!" Ruby said fawning over Weiss in awe.

"You two are a match made in hell," Sun grumbled innocuously.

"Alright, since he's here I should be going. Can't have the others wait too long," Weiss said reluctantly. She hated leaving Ruby's side, but she had important matters to take care of at home.

"Ran into 'em on my way in. Velvet and Yang are waiting for you outside," the man said as he tossed a thumb over his shoulder. "Blake's not lookin' too hot—well she looks hot, but not _hot-hot_… did that make any sense? A-Anyways, should probably get her home quick."

"She does realize the car is parked in front of a hospital right?" Weiss furrowed her brows together lost in deep thought for a moment. "Thank you, Sun. I'll leave her in your care."

Ruby tugged on Weiss' sleeve before she could leave. "Are you leaving already, Weiß?" The pleading look in Ruby's eyes broke the heiress' heart. "We didn't even get to play..."

"Next time I visit I promise we'll do just that till your heart's content." Weiss cupped Ruby's cheek and kissed the top of her head, her soft lips lingered for a moment before breaking the spell. "Don't wear yourself out okay, darling?"

"Roger, el cappuccino!" Ruby saluted Weiss trying to mimic the bonhomie Faunus. "Oh, can you bring Kas with you next time? She and I still need to finish our card game."

A warm, hopeful smile flickered on Weiss' face for half a second. "I'll make sure to ask her when I get home."

"Bye-bye!" Ruby waved, putting on her biggest smile.

The heiress patted the man's shoulder and left without looking back. Ruby felt herself slip into a torpid state when the beautiful woman in white disappeared down the corridor, the clicking of her heels growing distant. Without her there, the room felt too warm for the redhead's liking.

"So what game shall we play today? Personally I'm up for anything, what about you?" Sun said as eagerly plopped himself down in front of an immense mountain of tabletop games. He dug through the pile pulling out the ones that caught his eye and tossing the ones that didn't aside. "Oh, oh how about Taijitus and Ladders?"

"Mhm…"

"No bueno, eh? How about Opera—actually, scratch that—how about My Little Seahorse the Card Game? You love that game!"

Ruby's gaze was trained on the doorway hoping to see the magnificent white angel who saved her life pop back into the room. She let out the breath she unconsciously held when the only sounds she could hear were the rhythmic murmur of machines and Sun's shuffling.

"Ruby, Remnant to Ruby?" Sun called out trying to get her attention. He and Weiss were the only ones who called her that. It took nearly a minute to recognize her own name. "Everything alright?"

Being called "Ruby Rose" felt odd and stifling. It was her name—it said so on her wristband—but she wasn't the same Ruby people came to see. She couldn't recognize their faces, or even bring herself to say their names. A sharp pain would run through her each time she tried; Weiss' was the most difficult and painful from them all. The first and last time Ruby tried to say that beautiful name, she had lost consciousness from the excruciating headache and stayed that way for over three days.

"Y-Yeah, was just thinking. Sorry for making you worry," Ruby apologized in a deflated tone. She had been practically bouncing on the walls a moment ago, but now she was acting like someone had kicked her sandcastle in. "Taijitus and Ladders sounds good…"

Sun stared at her unconvinced and dropped the games in his hands, he sauntered up to her bedside and nabbed Weiss' chair. He brushed off his pants trying to buy some time for his thoughts to settle.

"What's on your mind, red?" he asked finally sitting down.

"Nothing much," she replied quickly, doing her best not to look him in the eye, "just y'know, _stuff_."

"You sure?" Sun pressed on knowing Ruby would relent as long as he stayed diligent. "Then why do I have a feeling something is up. You know you can talk to me right? Or would you rather I call Weiss up for you, though she'd probably force Yang to turn the car around… haha..."

"N-No, it's alright." Looking down, Ruby began twiddling her thumbs. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" she asked nervously. "Please?"

Stroking his chin, Sun looked to the sky with a hum. "Are you asking me as the Chevalier Sun Wukong, or as your old Beacon Academy buddy?" Sun asked back perceptively.

The girl in red breathed a sigh of relief, she was thankful Sun was the one on duty today. "As my old Beacon buddy please."

Sun's face turned uncharacteristically serious. This was the first time she had asked anyone about her past as Ruby Rose the Huntress. Weiss' instructions rang clear in his head: speak to her like you just met, do not assume anything, and answer any question she asks. And only _when_ she asks.

"Well _Ruby, _old buddy, old pal I'm an open book," Sun said putting emphasis on her name. "Bring it on, but I won't answer how babies are made. That's a question for Weiss or Blake… or someone more mature than me. Definitely not Yang though. Ruby, never ask Yang how babies are made."

"I-I know how babies are made!" she exclaimed with a heavy blush on her face. Ruby turned to the side and mumbled beneath her breath, "At least I think I do…"

"Ruby, I heard that."

The girl visibly recoiled at every use of her name, but she was determined to get answers and shook it off. She was talking to her old friend, not her bodyguard; however, that still didn't make things any easier swallow. With Weiss she was an endless source of confidence, but without her calming presence to fall back on Ruby was lost and scared.

"Give me a moment," the girl mumbled as she tried to calm her nerves.

"Take your time; I'm here," Sun said assuringly. He placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder and offered her a smile when she looked up at him.

"Thanks..."

Uncomfortable would be the first word to come to mind whenever someone she couldn't remember, spoke to her like they had known her for years. It made conversations difficult to follow and understand. One moment they would be talking to her like a new friend, which was great and all, but then the they'd slip and start talking about events she had no recollection of whatsoever. Yang was the worst when it came to this, Ruby could hardly blame her for it since they were apparently sisters. There was also Jaune, but he was a stuttering mess most of the time so he didn't exactly count. Luckily, Weiss nipped the problem at the bud when she noticed what was happening. Ruby didn't know what was said and done, she was just relieved that it had stopped.

"Alright, I'm ready." Ruby straightened her back and poised herself, she had seen Weiss do this a million times whenever she spoke. It felt reassuring to mimic the confident heiress. "What was I like?" she asked with slight hesitation. There had been many nights she pondered about this, but could never find the strength to ask. Not knowing frightened her more than waking up alone in the dark. "A-And how different am I now?"

Sun was taken by mild surprise at first, but melted away in boisterous laughter. "Pfft, that's the one thing you didn't forget!" He slapped his knee several times, tears lining the creases between his eyes. "Man, you had me seriously freaked out! I thought you were gonna ask something super personal."

"Huh?" Ruby stared back dumbfounded.

"What I meant is you haven't changed in the slightest bit," he said between chortles. "You have no idea how relieved we all were when we saw a tiny piece of our old Ruby shine through."

"Like how exactly?"

"For starters you still love sweets, reading and playing board games." Sun began listing off a number of things that Ruby shared with her old persona. "You still have a tendency to ramble, and you've always been excitable, but you have this really reliable serious side, too."

"So does that mean I was always this hyper around Whi... Wei… _Weiß_." she said clutching her head in agony, the worried look on her friend's face did little to ease her pain. "_Weiß…"_

"Don't force yourself, red." Sun said poking her forehead trying to lighten the mood. "Take it easy, I literally have all night."

"Y-Yeah, that was a little too much," Ruby panted as the pain began to subside. "Sorry, I'm alright now."

"No worries, just relax. I'm here for ya, Rubes."

"But do you think we could we stop talking about me for a second?" Ruby asked, the sudden migraine had jogged her memory and brought a certain question to mind. The blonde closed his mouth and nodded his head letting her continue. "This might sound weird, but what was her husband like and where is he?"

"Husband?" Sun blurted out flabbergasted. "What husband?"

"She is wearing a wedding right? Or am I mistaking the left hand for the right hand?" Ruby scratched the top of her head, she was mostly sure that the sentiment behind a wedding ring was that you wore it on the left since it was closest to the heart.

Sun shook his head and said, "No, you're right. It's a wedding ring, but she didn't marry a dude—actually that'd be friggen hilarious if she did! I wanna see a guy try and keep his manhood with her around; Weiss is a serious ballbuster."

"So you mean she's like Yellow and Black?"

"_Blake_ and_ Yang," _he said correcting her, "are about as gay as gay can get. Can't really say much about Weiss." Sun looked the young woman with a thoughtful expression, "she's only been in one serious relationship."

He wanted to say that she was with her, however, Weiss had advised him to do otherwise unless she directly asked. It was difficult watching Weiss tiptoe around Ruby, but it had been for the best. Overloading the poor girl with information was a one-way ticket to Panic city.

Ruby stared at him unamused, "I see…?"

"A-Anyways, enough about that. Getting back to your first question about her," Sun cleared his throat, the last thing he wanted was to get into relationship semantics. "You were always happy around her. When she wasn't around, you'd be acting a bit like you are now. Oh, that's another thing that hasn't changed: your feelings for Weiss."

Ruby wasn't all too surprised, she already knew that the older woman meant more to her than anyone else. What she did want to know was whether or not it was mutual a mutual attraction. It would have been a devastating blow to her self-esteem if she invested in her developing feelings for the business woman only to be turned down in the end.

"What is she to me really? And don't just say she's my 'friend' or something like that. There's more to it, isn't there?"

"So it wouldn't bother you if I said you two were more than friends?" Sun asked hesitantly. Ruby shook her head and urged for the man to continue. "Well… only since you asked so nicely. You two were the most well known secret couple in Beacon!"

"Wait, what?" Ruby said scrunching her nose cutely, "That sounds way too contradicting, run that by me again?"

"Alright let me try again… um," Sun fiddled with his tail unsure how to properly word his thoughts.

He was known for many things, but a hopeless romantic was not one of them. It would take a lifetime of romantic comedies to explain even a third of what went on between them.

"To say you two were friends would just be the tip of the iceberg. As team partners, you guys were amazing—the best even!" He threw his arms up into the air to emphasize his point. "During mock battles you and Weiss were a force to be reckoned with. You knew each other's moves inside and out—you guys didn't even need to speak! That's how good you two were, and don't even get me started on your one-on-one matches against each other." Sun couldn't help but gush over the amazing spectacle the lovers pulled off during their third year. "If the professor didn't set a timer, you two would go at it for hours without landing a single hit. It was like you two were dancing instead of fighting—or something mushy-gushy like that."

"I already knew Weiss was graceful, but to avoid a full onslaught? That's pretty cool." Ruby tried picturing Weiss and herself in an exhibition match. "But Weiss being ridiculously awesome aside, how does that equate to us being more than just 'friends'? All I'm hearing is how I had the best partner in the world."

"Damnit, you'd think I'd have made my point already," Sun groaned in frustration. As much as he loved Ruby, Sun found her obliviousness grating sometimes.

"This is starting to get exasperating…" the redhead said as she rubbed her temples. "Just say it already, man!"

"There! All the time you spent with her changed your vocabulary, some part of you must still remember."

"You're starting to make the old me sound extremely stupid," Ruby grumbled in offense.

Sun shrugged his shoulders at the comment, "I don't know how you were before meeting the Ice Queen. But from what I heard from Yang and the others, the closer you got the more you two acted like the other." Sun leaned and ruffled Ruby's hair, the girl was taking things too seriously for him continue. "She loosened up a lot, but you probably changed the most. You were confident when you spoke, and started taking things seriously. Weiss really helped you mature."

"I really can't see Weiß acting like that, she's too cool." Ruby slapped herself across the face for not stopping when she could. "I did not just say that… I did not just say that."

"Haha, same ol' Rubes. But you are right, we all thought that, too… that is until Blake told us that she balanced herself on top of a chair that teetered on one leg."

"Wow."

"Yeah, that woman has some crazy good balance in heels," Sun smiled at the warm glow emanating the redhead."She also started cracking jokes believe it or not."

"Now _that_ I do know," Ruby giggled sheepishly, "I love her dry sense of humour. Makes me feel smart when I get 'em."

"Most go right over my head," Sun added slightly embarrassed. "But hey, I don't get paid to be smart."

Ruby scoffed at Sun's self-depreciating humor. "Pfft, you're plenty smart."

"I'd rather be dumb and happy, than smart and angsty." The Faunus waved it off having resigned himself to his inferior intellect.

"You still haven't explained how we're more than just friends."

"I was just getting to that," Sun tutted at the impatient girl. "As you've already noticed, Weiss has a really big reputation to uphold. She was next in line to the SDC, everyone knew who she was. You guys had to keep things on the downlow and between close friends only. What outsiders saw was two very close friends, but what we saw was two girls so very much in love."

"So this whole time," Ruby said in startling revelation, "everything she's done was for—"

"You," Sun stated proudly. "Though she didn't really make it much of a secret."

Ruby processed the information slowly. She wasn't against the idea, it made what she was feeling clear. One question prowled her thoughts, why would someone like Weiss fall for her of all people? She could have done so much better.

"The secret to your synchronization was discreet touching, body language, and how your eyes always managed to find each other." Sun scratched the top of his head trying to think of something else to toss on the table, "Is that enough of answer? I don't know how I can say more without being crude."

"Say it," Ruby fearlessly demanded. The Wess-like tone in her voice startled them both. "I mean, how bad can it be?"

Sun's hazel eyes lit up in opportunity, there was no way he could pass up this chance to embarrass his friend and boss. His cheeky grin widened making Ruby realize her mistake. Before she could stop him, he Faunus leaned in and said, "To put short and sweet, you guys fucked. _A lot_."

Ruby's eyes were the size of dinner plates, and her face redder than a tomato. She stuttered incoherently making the rambunctious adult roar out in laughter. Her imagination pumped out numerous lewd images, all of which involved Weiss and herself in varying levels of indecency. She cursed the cruel gods governing over amnesia for wiping only her memory. Why couldn't they have erased her mental dictionary as well? Life would have so much better if she hadn't known what that jarring word meant, or how soft Weiss' skin felt to the touch, and how that commanding voice made her body quake with desire. She would have been so much better if she had never found the name for the feelings she held.

"I—I… um…"

"Oh man you shoulda seen your face!"

Her head felt lighter than air, the images in her filling head—flashbacks perhaps—continued to filter in at alarming speeds. They had drifted away from bawdy desires with Weiss to leisurely outings with the people who checked up on her from time to time.

"Uh Rubes, your nose is bleeding—oh God, Ruby!" Sun screamed out in horror when the girl keeled back. He looked over unconscious body and panicked. "Uh... Uh... Gotta call for help. Gotta call for help!"

He searched frantically for the emergency button located somewhere in the room, but couldn't find it. Dashing to the door, Sun hollered as loud as he could, "Help! Someone get in here quick!"

A nurse looked up and dropped everything she was doing when she saw what room the yell came from. Within minutes a team of highly trained medical staff rushed in; they pushed Sun aside and began tending to Ruby. Heads were going to roll if anything happened to the girl.

"Weiss is going to fucking kill me…" he said slumping down against the wall.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

* * *

><p>The drive to Weiss' estate was done with relative silence. Yang was focused on the long, winding road only looking away to shoot furtive glances at the woman to her right. Blake had fallen asleep in the front passenger seat exhausted from her speech, her light snoring and adorable mumbles had been the reason for a number of lighthearted giggles in the vehicle. There was just something about watching the feline sleep that put everyone at ease, of course no one would dare say it to her face.<p>

Weiss was mulling over work related matters, the stern expression on her face explained as much. And Velvet happily watched the winter scenery pass her by. She had never seen snow until she entered Beacon; it was a magical moment for her. However, living in Atlas had dulled dulled the wonder with its biting winds, impromptu blizzards and the occasional avalanche.

Forty-five minutes had passed since they left Ruby and Shining Beacon. Off to the right, in the steadily shrinking distance, poking through an impressive wall of lush, evergreen hedges stood a structure of pure architectural brilliance. And while it was nothing compared to the gargantuan castle Weiss grew up in, it was still home and outfitted with everything a huntress could dream of. RWBY Manor was large enough to house a growing family comfortably, and any friends or relatives who came to visit, but small enough to maintain without annexing external help.

It was also comparatively smaller than most luxury residences found in Atlas, but the women who lived in it preferred it that way. The woman it belonged to refused to hire servants, and demanded her "permanent freeloaders" help keep it clean.

"Ah home sweet home," the fiery blonde said to break the silence.

Yang eased Weiss' extravagant sedan into their driveway, she had become their impromptu chauffeur over the years and loved every minute of it. Working close to one of the world's richest and most influential women came with many perks. One of them—and this was Yang's favourite—was the occasional gift from automobile companies trying to gain Weiss' favour.

Rolling the vehicle to a gentle stop, Yang noticed something rather jostling thumping on their front door. She called out for Weiss' attention and pointed at the manor. "Is that porky?" she asked in disbelief. The robust blob of a man in purple was a stark contrast to the snow-white walls of their home.

Weiss quickly unbuckled her seat belt, clumsy fingers struggling with the buckle for a few seconds, before squeezing herself into the space between Yang and Blake. She peered over squinting her eyes into the distance. She groaned in confirmation muttering a string of curses as she fell back into her seat in an unladylike manner.

"He's yelling at someone," Blake commented still half asleep, "let's go, Yang." She stretched her stiff joints and got out of the car without another word. If someone didn't get out first, they would all sit there gawking till the sun went down.

"Babe's gettin' feisty." Yang grinned and jumped out next, she rushed to Blake's side and slung an arm over her partner's shoulders. "So whose turn is it to take out the trash?" she asked with a maniacal chuckle.

"I think you should. We wouldn't want the prissy princess to break a nail now would we?" Blake suggested, her black cat ears twitching in anticipation of the impending confrontation between her hotheaded lover and the recently terminated buffoon.

"Hey!" Weiss shrilly shouted back in protest. "I take offense to that."

"You take offense to everything," Blake spared a taunting glance towards Weiss and muttered, "your _highness_."

"I—damnit. I will end you Blake Belladonna, mark my words I will."

"You can try," she replied with a hum, "but we all know you'd miss me."

"We'll see about that."

Next to Ruby, the former White Fang agent was the closest to Weiss. Their friendship was peppered with playful insults mimicking their former animosity. Even in the most serious of scenarios, the two always found a way to poke fun at the other's expense.

"So, what's the game plan?" Yang asked. She looked over her shoulder noticing the exasperated stare Velvet sent her way. Winking at the older woman, the blonde added, "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"..." Velvet held her tongue and shook her head, she was not getting involved. Not again. Never again.

"Open the door this instant you rotten little Schnee! I know you're in there," Gerald bellowed, kicking the door once for each word. "I demand you show yourself, and face me this instant!"

A timid voice reminiscent of Weiss' echoed back, "I'm not allowed to open the door to strangers."

"_Stranger_!? I've worked for your family for over two decades!" His fist slammed malevolently against the dark lacquered wood. "I deserve better than this. Now for the last time, I insist you let me inside and speak to that lilliputian devil-harpy you spawned from!"

Yang snickered behind a clenched fist, "Incoming schneesturm in T-minus: ten." She didn't know what the big word meant, but judging from the murderous aura emanating from the lili-something woman, it must have been synonymous to one of her pet peeves. "Nine." Though speaking contemptuously to her eldest daughter wasn't helping his case much either. "Eight."

"S-Should we say something?" Velvet asked the smirking Faunus in front of her. She trusted Blake to be the mature one of the bunch. "Blake? Blake, please say something."

"Seven."

"We're stuck in a stuffy office all day, let us have our fun." Leaning into Yang's warm embrace, Blake shook her head slowly. There was nothing more amusing to her than watching her teammate's world renowned outbursts. "This'll is better than any movie, I promise."

"Six."

"Bu—y'know what, whatever," the rabbit sighed in defeat. Sometime she just couldn't understand these women. "I won't be held responsible if he soils himself out of fear."

"Five."

"We already agreed Yang would take the garbage out tonight," Blake shrugged her shoulders and ran a hand through her hair. "Just lean back and enjoy the show, Velvet."

"Alright, alright…"

"Hey, Weiss? I know you want to throttle him, but just annoy him. I'm still working the heat off from that case."

"Fine."

"Four!"

Gerald continued to assault the manor with everything he had, every swing grew in ferocity as well as the boorish language he used. "Listen here you little piece of shite," he barbarously growled, "if you do not open this door right now, I will personally see to it that you never grow up to take over that wretched company."

"That makes me want to open the door even less…"

"Three!"

The final dam holding Weiss' rage back shattered, the white-collar chump had officially crossed the line and sealed his fate.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" Yang exclaimed, repeatedly nudging Velvet in the ribs excitedly. "Two!"

"Joy," the brunette replied dryly, rolling her eyes and waving an unenthusiastic hand in the air. "Wooo… I need a drink," she said whispering the final bit to herself.

"Fight well," Blake cheered. She smacked Weiss' behind with a playful smirk on her face, and blew a kiss in her direction when Weiss countered with a rude hand gesture. "Love you too, princess."

"One!" Yang exclaimed giving Weiss a mighty shove, she shot her glaring friend a thumbs-up. "Schneesturm launching!"

The mistress of the manor stomped up the front steps, roiling in anger from her teammate's jibes. "How dare you trespass on private property," Weiss seethed venomously. She stood behind her former subordinate, arms crossed tightly across her chest. "And you better have a damn good reason for damaging _my_ doors."

"Weiss Schnee!"

Gerald spun around to face her, he broke out in a cold sweat when his gaze landed on the woman he demanded to see; his blind rage left little time to formulate a course of action. He didn't even expected Weiss would actually show herself, she had always ignored his summons.

"In the flesh," Weiss said, flipping her hair.

"You!" he shouted. "How could you publicly humiliate me like that?"

"Your slip of tongue is by no means my responsibility," Weiss replied unctuously, her voice colder than the snow blanketing her land. "Now explain why are you here."

"I have a bone to pick with you, Weiss Schnee."

"And yet another name to add to the ever growing list of people I couldn't care less about," the snarky woman replied. "I don't have all day to listen to you spew out rubbish. Make your claim then leave before I have you forcibly," Yang cracked her knuckles to emphasize her words, "_removed_."

Gerald trudged up to the white-haired woman glaring daggers at him. When they were mere inches apart, he steeled himself trying to bite back the bile that threatened to rise up. He had watched her grow from a tiny child clinging helplessly to her father's leg to the strong, independent woman staring him down like a predator. Weiss stood an inch taller than him, increasing her range of intimidation. Gerald was ready to breakdown and flee, but here was here on a mission.

"What happened out there?"

"Out where?" she innocently cocked her head to the right, "Out here where you threatened the life of _my_ daughter," a sweet smile graced her rosy lips, "or are you speaking about how you nearly undid all of my hard work in seconds?"

"You take that back, I did no such thing!"

"To which?" she asked.

Gerald was seeing red. How dare this whiny upstart talk to him like this? He had served her faithfully when Wolfram stepped down from his post, and kept quiet about the injustice she bred within the company. The hefty man contemplated his options carefully, but there was only one that seemed to stand out. Dwelling deep within his thoughts was a myriad of emotions and thoughts that he'd been holding back for years, and this would most likely be the last time he ever saw the bewitching white harpy in person.

"I. Did. No. Such. Thing!"

"Really? We're going to play this game?" Running a gloved hand through her ivory locks, Weiss sighed, "Fine—I beg to differ."

"You were always a precocious little brat, _Weiss_. You and that sharp-tongue of yours slashed away every attempt I made at being civil."

Weiss quirked an eyebrow and continued to listen, she couldn't ever recall meeting the man during her childhood or adolescence. Weiss had made it her personal mission to acquaint herself with the SDC's most loyal hirelings before she took over, and managed to accomplish this with great success. The men and women she befriended had helped the transition by reassuring their underlings and co-workers that Weiss was more than capable. They were invaluable to her crusade.

"Wolfram and I go way back," Gerald began chuckling to himself reminiscing of the many memories he shared with the elder Schnee. "There was a time he and I took you and your sisters on a tour of a new factory. I made an off-handed gambol about making you my bride once you became of age." Weiss gagged at the gruesome thought. "Your father agreed to it, all that needed to be done was finalize it."

"Psst…"

A bead of sweat roll down her neck, she finally remembered where she had seen those disgusting, lustful eyes before. Weiss' keen peripheral vision descried small turquoise eyes peeking through a small crack between the manor's front doors; curiosity must have won the little one over. The noblewoman cursed herself for failing to notice during their long winded conversation.

"Psst, Blake…"

"I personally speak for myself, and many others, when I say that we've all imagined barging into that freakishly tidy office of yours and having our way with you," Gerald felt himself harden at the the thought. "Your father must absolutely hate himself for allowing his precious little heiress off of her leash. If he hadn't done so, you would have been properly married off to a respectable man."

"This guy is way creepy, can I hit now?" Yang whispered to Blake who drilled an elbow into her stomach. "Ow, what was that for!?"

"Be quiet," she hissed, "you're ruining his monologue."

"I'mma ruin his face if he doesn't quit bein' all pervy," the blonde barked. Blake clamped her wife's mouth shut, powering through even when Yang's tongue left a slobbery mess on her palm.

"You've grown into such a beautiful woman, Weiss. Makes me regret marrying the homely jezebel I have at home." He licked his lips to illicit a reaction, but Weiss remained neutral. "If only I had pressed the matter, that man could have been me."

She had heard all these things before, it didn't phase her one bit. But Blanc did not deserve to overhear someone speak to her mother in such a repulsive manner. Weiss needed to end this quick, and she knew just how to achieve that without wringing the life from his neck herself. She couldn't risk getting another aggravated assault charge.

Gerald tisked in disappointment, "Still unbelievable how you, a vision of every man's earthly desire, would allow herself to be fecundated by some offshore, country bumpkin. A _huntress_ without a single lien to her name no less."

"Do you even know what that word means?" Weiss scoffed, giving her daughter a wordless command to shut the door immediately. When it pulled back, Weiss refocused on her uninvited guest. "Are you about done?" she asked unamused. "Your voice is giving me a migraine."

Gerald faltered back when the woman's demeanor returned to her unshakable persona. He swallowed nervously realizing that the reason for her hesitation wasn't because of him.

"You know, I vaguely recall a time father showcased one of his new factories to me. I believe that was when I first met this slimy buffoon who tailed after us throwing in comments whenever we spoke. Father ignored him and focused his attention on us, we weren't even sure if he worked there to be honest." Weiss began to pace around him as she continued her story. "And yet here you are speaking about my father as if you two were close acquaintances, but I do not remember ever seeing you during the private functions father held to honor his best employees."

"O-Of course I was there!"

"I can list off every attendee by heart, however, your name does not appear even once."

"Your memory is faulty at best then."

"My memory is as infallible," Weiss stated proudly. "I'm bored of this silly game you've spun; it's time I ended it. I've allowed you to verbalize your disdain without interruption, surely that is a sufficient severance allowance?"

"What!?"

"There may be a chance—on some microscopic level—that I feel guilty for how you were dismissed." The heiress uncrossed her arms and frowned, "Mr. Douglas, there is a reason why you were left pushing papers after I took over: you were not essential to my empire. I could have let you go whenever I wanted, but doing so would displease the 'homely jezebel' I sit next to during board meetings. You can thank her for making sure you had a paycheque to spend on that mistress of yours. Lovely woman by the way, very pleasant. Though your wife seems to think otherwise."

Gerald bit back his tongue shaking in anger. He accepted Weiss as someone to fear long before she had taken over. The devilish little bitch had peered over from her father's shadow many times in the past, biding her time patiently till she was crowned queen.

Wolfram was a professional, quiet and amiable man who let his actions speak for themselves. He put realpolitik to practice and raised the SDC to new heights, but his successor thought otherwise and began undoing her father's work. She was incommensurable and nothing like him at all, save for their striking resemblance and ego.

Weiss was more of dictator than a business CEO. She demanded an inhuman perfection from everyone on her payroll, even the janitors weren't exempted from her over the top expectations. While she worked everyone ragged, she focused on spending the company's valuable resources on improving Faunus-Human relations, hiring over-glorified huntsmen to stave off the White Fang assaults, and even going as far as donating to a multitude of charities. She was running the SDC to the ground with her acts of "generosity".

It sickened him.

People he had worked with for years were let go without notice, and replaced by spineless youngsters and Faunus vermin. She used her power as an autarch to shatter everything he dedicated himself to.

"Your public speeches were mundane. I could have had Yang drunkenly go up in your place, and still do a better job than you ever could. In fact my four-year-old could probably do better than the both of you combined."

"How dare you."

Weiss shook her head at his empty words, just one final push and he would slip up. "How dare I indeed. What are you going to do about it?"

"I've devoted my blood, sweat and tears to this company and this is how you repay my loyalty by—" the hefty man shot a glare at Blake who smiled sweetly in return. He pushed himself flush against Weiss and shoved her away."By replacing me with some no-name Fanus trash!?"

Yang leapt into action without thinking and charged at the fool who dared to touch her sister-in-law and insult her partner. She had waited patiently for Weiss to finish ruffling Gerald's feathers; the time for talk was over. Knowing the brawler's unrestrained thought patterns like the back of her hand, Weiss swiftly pirouetted away and cleared the path for her. The look on Gerald's face when the burning beauty slammed into him was priceless.

"Hey, watch the wood! It was expensive," Weiss winced at the minor damage and quickly began calculating how much it would cost to replace it.

"Whoa, whoa that's enough. Take it easy on him, hun," Blake called out urgently when Yang raised a fist. She loved how the woman would do anything to defend her honor, but if something happened to the racist bastard he could easily manipulate the facts and blame his injuries as a hate crime against humanity.

Hearing the calm woman's voice pulled Yang out of her fury. She nudged the intruder with the side of her foot, and when he made no sign consciousness she skipped merrily back to Blake's side satisfied with her work.

"Those doors are coming out of your next paycheque, brute."

"What—no, you can't do that!" the blonde whined, she knew Weiss was only joking. Or at least she hoped it was only a joke, it was hard to tell sometimes.

Velvet walked up to Weiss and tapped her on the shoulder, "Do we leave him out here?"

"Yes," Weiss barked remorselessly.

"Alright."

Velvet didn't feel the need to tend to his injuries. She had a big heart, the biggest heart around, but he had been a steaming pile of racist dung towards her brethren for so long she just couldn't find it in herself to forgive someone who propagated the hate. However, Velvet did give him a quick once over to make sure her friend hadn't cause too much damage. She was still _technically_ a doctor, but was a huntress first and foremost. Having stared death in the eye countless times and tended to traumatic injuries that could induce nightmares, the man slumped against the wall was fine by her standards.

"He'll live," she said rather coldly. "Probably."

Weiss opened the door to her mansion and allowed Velvet and the two other women inside first. Yang help a pasty-faced Blake to the couch and rushed to get her a glass of water. The heiress stifled her laughter as best she could, but Blake's refined hearing caught her red-handed.

"You should see your face."

"If I wasn't so nauseous, I'd have a few choice words ready by now," an irritable Blake sneered, her arms wound tightly around her stomach.

"Ah the joys of motherhood, I warned you it was going to be awful." Weiss said stoking the fire between her and Blake guilt-free. "But did you listen? Nope."

"Damn you, Schnee. Damn you to hell." Blake hissed.

Weiss let out a chortle and wiped away a tear, "You're only making this funnier with your weak threats. The fires of hell would freeze over the moment I arrive, and we all know I'd rule it with an iron fist."

"Only you would take pride in something like that…" Blake said lurching over as a new wave of nausea hit her. "You better start sleeping with one eye open."

"Hm, if Weiss froze hell over," Velvet mused out loud, "wouldn't it be her kingdom of ice-olation?" She looked at her friends expectantly, "Well?" But Blake and Weiss weren't having any of it. "Fine, at least I tried!"

"It's the thought that counts, Velvet…"

"Blake, you're not making me feel any better."

"Ahem, I-I tolerated the incessant teasing you and Yang put me through," the woman in white pointed out trying to reign in the conversation. She raised her nose to the air and cocked her hips to the side haughtily, "Now if you would excuse me I wish to enjoy my slice of payback-is-a-bitch pie. Mm, delicious." Blake waved her hand dismissively, she was feeling too ill to exchange further blows with Weiss. "Tastes like tears and anguish with a hint of… hm, regret?"

Unamused golden eyes homed in on Weiss' smirk, a low growl resounding within Blake's throat. "You'll get fat eating all that, princess."

"Back at'cha, house cat."

"My waistline says otherwise."

"Give it time."

"Hmph, don't you have anything better to do other than pester me?" Blake asked in a much lighter tone, the tension between them dissipating like a puff of smoke.

"You are indeed correct. I'll be in my study if anyone needs me. Feel better, Blake." Weiss announced before climbing up the spiral staircase.

After Weiss left, the two Faunus women looked at each other awkwardly unsure whether or not to start a conversation. Many things were on their minds, but this was neither the time or place to bring them up. Thankfully, Yang showed up with Blake's water and instantly brightened the mood.

"One tall glass of water," Yang said as she slowed her hip swaying stride, "for my darling Blakey-poo." The blonde handed over the glass and kissed the top of Blake's head lovingly. Yang had another glass with her and passed it to Velvet like a good host. "And one for Velvy. Drink up ladies, I swear I didn't spike it!"

Velvet accepted the chilled beverage and took big gulp, she had no idea how thirsty she really was until she saw the clear liquid. "Thank you very much, Yang. How did you know I need a drink?"

A shrug of her broad shoulders was the only answer she could muster for the doctor. The blonde turned her warm gaze back to her better half and asked, "Do you need anything else?"

"No," Blake said taking a tentative sip, "thanks for the water."

"You sure? Because it really won't be a problem for me to go and grab whatever you need."

"Yang, I'm fine. Thank you."

The raven haired woman smiled to herself when the lukewarm liquid travelled down her parched throat; she had never been able to drink any sort of chilled beverage. Blake hadn't told Yang about her intolerance either, but somehow the blonde picked up on it and made sure her drinks were always room temperature. It was these little things that made her fall head over heels for her despite their differences. No one was as considerate as Yang in her eyes, though Ruby and Weiss tied at a close second.

"Alrighty then, Blake-a-ri-no!" Yang bounced back up and spun on her heel whimsically, "So what shall we have tonight?"

"I'm up for anything," Velvet said taking a seat next to Blake. "Something greasy and extremely unhealthy sounds like it would hit the spot."

"Should a doctor really say that?" Blake laughed.

"No, but after the day we've had…" Velvet offered her a weak smile, "I think we could all go for some comfort food."

"Hm, how about pizza then?" Yang suggested the first thing that came to mind. A golden glare pierced through her defences and made her retract the statement immediately, "Er—not pizza then... Um, uhh..."

"I was only teasing, hun. Don't hurt yourself thinking." Blake smirked at her partner's plight, "Pizza is fine."

"You sure?"

Nodding her head, the cat turned to the rabbit and asked, "How 'bout you?"

"Definitely! Always up for a pizza party with friends."

"Alrighty then!" Yang excitedly whipped out her scroll hidden conveniently between her breasts. She quickly filed through her contact lengthy list looking for her favourite pizzeria. "Vegetarian for Velvet and Weiss, _meatlovers _with anchovies for me and Blakey—pfft, still cracks me up. It's an innuendo pie! And of course we can't forget pepperoni and mushrooms for mini-Weiss."

Velvet's eyes lit up at the sound of the girl's nickname. She scanned the room, listening carefully, and glanced over at Blake looking for assistance. The other Faunus' ears twitched in a number of directions, Velvet smiled at Blake knowing she was already searching.

"Oh, can we add a garden salad to that?" Velvet chimed in innocuously, she ignored Yang's awful joke refusing to go near it with a ten-foot pole.

"Read my mind pretty lady," Yang grinned, "and of course we can't forget Kas' breadsticks."

"Should we add some drinks to that?"

"Me and Weiss stocked up last week," Yang said. "We should be good for the next little while."

"Please don't tell me you guys bought out the entire drink aisle again."

"..." Yang looked up at the ceiling nervously, "Alright, I won't tell you."

"Damnit, Yang! I can't believe you."

"What are you yelling at me for!?"

"Why would you do that? We don't even like most of that stuff."

Shrugging dismissively, Yang said, "Hey, we end up donating most of it to schools. We're doing a public service!"

"How exactly is that a 'public service'?" Blake snapped angrily. "You're promoting childhood onset obesity. Back me up here, Velvet!"

"Uh…" The brunette's wide eyes darted between her two friends in a panic. The glass she held in her trembling hands teetered, its contents nearly spilling.

"Don't drag her into this!"

"I wouldn't have to if you would just stop and think for once in your life!"

"Why do I have to think?" Yang threw her hands up into the air and screamed, "I have you for that!"

"What?" The fury in Blake's eyes melted faster than a snowflake in the desert. "I'm sorry Yang, I didn't mean to lose my temper like that," she said apologizing sincerely. "And I know we use those drinks for company banquets and meetings, so it was wrong of me to single out the small contribution we make to the school districts."

"We actually do? I was just blowin' smoke when I said that, haha."

"You really do leave all the thinking to me, don't you?" Blake grimaced. "Both you and Weiss are incredulous."

The blonde tossed her a wide grin. "Well duh! The moment you put that ring on, you agreed to be brains of this super awesome family."

"I invested more faith in Weiss than I should have, I regret this. I regret this deeply."

"Eh, you learn to live with it."

"Do I have to?"

As the Belladonna family settled their differences with playful banter, Velvet heard the doorbell ring. Courteously, she excused herself and got up to answer the door for her preoccupied hosts. She was pleasantly surprised to find an old friend standing on the porch staring unabashedly at Gerald.

"Uh, is that the PR dude?"

"Neptune, so good to see you!" Velvet said greeting him warmly with a hug. The blue-haired man returned it, but kept his gaze locked on the pathetic mess who had accumulated a small tuft of snow on his head. "Pay him no mind, he'll live." And as if to prove her point, Gerald groaned. "See? He'll be fine."

"Keyword: fine. But what exactly happened?" he asked as he followed Velvet inside. "And shouldn't you—oh, I don't know—do something, _doc_? It's kinda cold out here, what if he freezes or something?"

"Hm, nope." The brunette shrugged falling back to his side. She really felt no sympathy for him, not even an ounce of pity. "Boss' orders."

"Oh," Neptune sunk into his shoulders at the sound of Velvet's uncaring tone. She had definitely been spending too much time with Blake and Weiss. "I-I see..."

"Anyway, you must be cold standing out here," she beamed. "Come in, come in!"

"Thank you."

Tailing after Velvet, the blue haired huntsman began brushing his Chevalier jacket free from the Atlesian snow. He then smoothed out his hair and shook it free of any droplets that lingered. The winter weather did little to dampen him from seeing a certain someone.

"So what brings Mr. Vasilias to RWBY Manor?" Velvet asked leading the man to the living room.

"Came to see Weiss. Got some important news," Neptune explained, flashing her his candid smile, "is she here?"

"Yes, she is."

"Know where?"

Blake's Faunus ears flattened at the sound of his voice. As he and Velvet got closer, she leaned her head back to look at him with a blank stare; she wasn't too fond of their new guest. Neptune was fairly harmless and Blake did enjoy conversing with him as a fellow intellectual, but that civility ended as soon as he entered her home. The casanova made it no secret that he was after the heiress' heart, and even though he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell, his intentions still had the ability to damage her family's fragile dynamics.

"In her study," the raven haired woman said. "I'd be careful if I were you. She's not in the best of moods."

"When is she ever?" he snapped back in a playful jibe at the white haired woman's expense.

Blake opened her mouth to counter, but changed her mind in the last second. She didn't have the energy to argue. "Proceed at your discretion then."

Neptune thanked her politely, registering Blake's subtle threat. He quickly headed upstairs before Yang, wherever she was, could find him and throw him out. The last thing he needed was the overprotective lioness hovering over him as he tried to get closer to her sister-in-law.

Climbing up the steps with confidence, Neptune straightened his tie and posture. Weiss respected a man who walked with purpose. "Come on, Nep. You can do this," he whispered trying to psyche himself up. "It's just Weiss. Just Weiss. Nothin' to be scared of."

Somewhere in the back of his mind a terrified voice, that oddly enough reminded him of Sun's, screamed out, _Except for the psycho huntress she married with the giant ass scythe that doubles as a high-impact sniper rifle. Do you want a bullet in your brain? Dude, turn back._

_Right, there's that._ Neptune replied with a shiver. _But she can't really do anything stuck in a hospital. And no, I will not back down._

_Then what about her batshit crazy sister? Y'know the one with super-human strength who can set herself on fire. She kicked your sorry ass no prob during the Vytal Festival._

_C'mon, Yang's not that bad,_ he argued trying to stay positive. _And Blake's got a pretty good hold on her leash._

_Neptune, dude, you lolo? Blake hates you the most._ That put a stop to the hunter's stride. _See! You're scared of her._

_No, I'm not._

_You're shaking in your boots. Dude, you're standing in enemy territory. I suggest falling back and just talk to Weiss during office hours._

_Shut up, freaky disembodied voice in my head!_

_Be smart and give up. You're chasing after a married woman with kids, bro. Ya' ain't ready to be a daddy._

_Weiss is worth it._

_Fine, be a stubborn jackass,_ the huffed in defeat, _but that ship has sailed years ago. Move on._

Neptune shook his head vehemently, he wasn't going to relent, not now while the opportunity existed.

_Weiss ain't interested._

_Says who?_ he sneered.

_Says me, your conscience, dumbass. You know this is wrong._

_Stop being a negative nancy._

_You're lucky she even thinks of you as a friend, be happy with that._

_I tried… I tried, but she's my dream girl._

There was a time he called the heiress his. She had been his first serious girlfriend, he wanted to do things right and took it slow. He took her out on the best dates he could think of and never cared about the cost. Holding her hand filled his stomach with butterflies, and the thought of kissing her made him light headed.

The confident woman held his heart in the palm of her hands, but his kindness got the better of him one night. Love blinded his eyes, all he wanted was to make her happy. He had given her the final push she needed to accept what was in front of her. The smile she gave him the next time they met had been the brightest he'd ever seen. Neptune had lost the girl of his dreams to her team leader, but watching their relationship grow was bittersweet.

_Alright, I give. You're on your own. But don't come crying to me when she turns you down. __**Again**__._

_She won't. She's different now._


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Seven Years Ago<strong>

* * *

><p>The Vytal Festival ended on such a high note Ozpin was left speechless. So to reward his students, on behalf of Beacon Academy, he decided to finish the school year with a formal dance party. And just like the second semester sock hop, the students were piled into a makeshift dance hall and were allowed to play the night away. It was a rare moment of reprieve the teachers felt their students deserved after everything that had happened, so they stood back and watched letting the children be children. They were even kind enough to forgive the would-be-hunter who spiked the punch.<p>

Neptune had flown in with Sun to see their long-distance girlfriends and catch up with friends, his golden haired buddy had finally snagged himself a girl and was dying to show her off. Sun ran off before the dance started, but Neptune wasn't worried. He would find him later after spending some much needed quality time with his own angel.

He danced nervously with Weiss trying not to step on her toes. The young hunter took it on himself to get some lessons when she sent him an invitation. No improvement was made, but at least he was with her trying his best.

The conversation between them was fairly one-sided. He listened to her rant on about the latest blunder her team leader, Ruby Rose, had caused. They were finishing their first year at Beacon, but the redhead was still making a number of mistakes that Weiss found unbefitting of a leader. Last week's video call rant was about a schedule mixup, which easily fixed. However, this time she had managed to stumble into a beowolf nest and got chased through half of the forest. Despite her angry tone, Neptune knew she was subtly smiling; he adored that about her. Weiss didn't have many friends she could be open with, so whenever she went on these seemingly endless reiterations, Neptune knew she was trying to blow off some steam. His pride swelled at the thought of the trust she placed in him. This relationship had been his best decision by far.

Spinning her around on her heels, Neptune brought the girl close to his chest and held her tightly. She huffed angrily and said, "Honestly, she is such a child!"

_But you enjoy her company,_ Neptune chuckled to himself knowing better to stay quiet than to state the obvious. "That reminds me, where is your fearless leader and the rest of your merry band of misfits?"

"Hah, 'fearless'? More like brainless," Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Though, now that you mention it, I haven't seen her at all this evening."

"We'll spot her eventually," Neptune said reassuringly. "I mean how hard is it to find someone dressed in all red?"

"I highly doubt it, Ruby's pretty good at hiding."

The pair continued to move in a slow rhythm while they scanned the crowd for the energetic teen. Ruby was no where in sight, but they did spot Yang and Velvet getting a little too friendly on the dance floor.

The young women drew in both positive and negative attention. Velvet was in a breathtaking, yellow cocktail dress that showed off enough leg to cause a traffic accident. And in contrast to her date's bright dress, Yang wore a dangerously sexy, black thigh-high-slit dress. The blonde's sensual movement and womanly curves had the boys drooling in hunger, while the girls watched her with burning jealousy. Velvet wasn't phased at all, she loved the attention her partner garnered. She knew Yang dressed up for her, and that the only person sliding it off of her tonight would be none other than herself.

Weiss' mood quickly lifted earning Neptune one of her precious smiles. She was genuinely happy her that her two friends found love, their polar opposite personalities worked together in perfect harmony. The third year woman was more outgoing, and Yang… well Yang stayed the same for the most part—though she did finally start eating her vegetables. That was still something worth mentioning, right? Victories, no matter how small, are still victories to be celebrated.

"I won't be seeing those two later tonight," she chuckled dryly.

"Where will they be then?" Neptune asked her innocently. Weiss shot him a glare and didn't say a word. "What?" The lightbulb in his head flickered on, and his face turned a shade darker than Ruby's trademark cloak. "Oh… so they're…"

"Yes…"

"Since when?"

"Don't know. Don't want to know. _Ever_."

The blue haired boy quirked an eyebrow and poked his girlfriend's cheek, she was practically red from head to toe. He knew better than to try anything risque with the Schnee heiress, not because of her family terrified him, but because she was more delicate than she let on. They barely even held hands, and he knew being this close during the dance was pushing her to her limits. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed being with Weiss. She was worth it, oh so worth it.

"I just hope the dolt is faring better than this morning though."

_Again with Ruby…_ he grimaced, but forced himself to ask anyway knowing Weiss wanted to talk about it. "Something up?"

"I don't exactly know, but she's been moody for the longest time." Weiss explained further, appreciating the ear Neptune lent her. She was grateful for his patience, but with how immature her team leader was, it was hard to focus on anything else. "Sometimes I feel like she's purposely avoiding me."

Neptune had a sinking feeling he knew why, but this was neither the time nor the place to bring it up.

"Hey, why don't we ask Yang if she knows anything? Maybe she can shed a little light here." Neptune mentally slapped himself for the unintended pun. _Of all the stupid things to say around her, way to go tuna breath!_

"Great idea." Displeased, Weiss curtly said, "Cute and smart, you're alright Mr. Vasilias. Father might actually approve of you."

A chill ran up Neptune's spine as Ruby's well-intended warning rang clear in his head: "Watch out for Weiss' 'business voice'. If she talks to you like that, it usually means you dun goofed." He had heard that tone a number of times, but never had it directed at him. It brought back painful memories of Weiss' final match in the tournament before getting disqualified for excessive violence. The dumb bastard had provoked Weiss into a bloodlust frenzy and nearly paid for it with his life. If it wasn't for Ruby and her amazing speed… well he wouldn't be here with Weiss tonight if she had showed up even a second later.

There was more to the story than what Weiss and Ruby had said, but Neptune knew not to pry. And he'd be lying if he said Weiss didn't frighten him after that little slip.

"Shall we?"

As calmly as he could, Neptune bowed and said, "Thank you kindly, now after you my lady." Neptune released his hold on the girl and offered her his elbow. She looped her arms around it and followed him to her teammate.

Yang and Velvet stared into each other's eyes, their noses barely an inch apart. They were seemingly lost in their own world and didn't care about anything else. Weiss cleared her throat and tapped Yang on the shoulder breaking their trance.

"Oh hey, looking fancy you guys," the blonde said, grinning broadly.

Deciding to cut straight to the chase, Weiss asked, "Have you seen Ruby?"

"Huh?" Yang blinked twice before turning her gaze to her friend's date. "Whoa, say that reminds me of something real important. Nep-tuna-can you hold my place with Velvy? I got to talk to your _delicate_ little snow angel about something."

The heiress didn't miss the anger that boiled through the word "delicate" like lava. Yang was mad at her for something, what it was exactly she didn't know. Her boyfriend agreed to the simple request and took the older girl's hand in his own. The two struggled a bit trying to catch the rhythm, but Weiss couldn't care less at the moment. The boxing inferno, a nickname that stemmed from a "tiny" dust accident, grasped Weiss' shoulder and lead them through the crowd. As they moved further away, Yang's grip tightened. By the time they reached their destination, the fencer's porcelain shoulder sported a deep red imprint.

"What the hell was that for?" Weiss groaned as she rubbed her arm. The big boobed brute knew she bruised like a ripe tomato.

"Weiss, buddy, amiga," Yang's back faced the heiress shrouding the shorter girl in her massive shadow. She took a deep breath and turned around, her eyes a burning red. "How stupid can you get?" she asked menacingly.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Yang took in a sharp breath, "how stupid can you get?"

Shaking her head, Weiss looked at her teammate in confusion. "What's bringing this hostility on?"

"Weiss, you're awesome, but you're seriously failing as a woman here." Red eyes darkened in anger. "Blake and I have stayed quiet about this long enough—it's driving us both mad! We can't even bring ourselves to be in the same room with you and Ruby constantly arguing. "

"What in dust's name are you talking about!?" Weiss was losing her patience with the blonde's refusal to explain properly. "We're not arguing."

"Bull, princess!" Yang shouted. "You two have been at each other's throats ever since the tournament."

Weiss stiffened at the comment. "Don't bring _that_ up," she seethed. "I owe Ruby my life! And I've been more amiable towards her because of it."

"Really? That's what you think you've been doing?" The blonde couldn't help but laugh at Weiss' misconstrued actions. "You need to reread the friendship manual."

"Yang, cut the crap. If I did something wrong, tell me straight so I can fix it!"

"That's what we've been trying to do for weeks, _Weiss_. Y'know, this actually reminds me of something I saw back in elementary school." Running a frustrated hand through her tousled hair, Yang grit her teeth to calm down. "You're acting like a little boy trying to get the girl he likes to notice him by teasing her, making her jealous and by being a little shit to her in general."

"Two things, Yang Xiao Long." Weiss stomped up to the taller girl fuming. "First, I am not a bully. Second, I still don't know what any of this has to do with finding Ruby. Just hurry up and tell me where I can find her."

Crossing her arms under her impressive bust, Yang angrily growled, "It has everything to do with Ruby. For someone who claims to be her best friend, you haven't paid any attention to how she really feels."

"How she feels?" Weiss gasped, a hand shooting to her chest in disbelief. "How _she_ feels? What about how _I_ feel, huh?" She placed both hands on her hips, weight shifting from her left to right foot, as she tried to drag her problems to the surface. "I nearly murdered a man! If it wasn't for Ruby and her stupid, selfless heroics I would be—I… Yang, you have no idea how it felt. He invaded my mind, injected himself into my blood and wrapped every muscle in my body with his very will—I had no control! A-And because of him… I hurt Ruby..."

"You know that isn't what I meant. I know it wasn't you, and I know you fought against it," the older teen said reassuringly. She wasn't here to make her teammate feel like a monster. She was here to make her teammate realize she was being a complete and utter bitch to the girl who stopped her from becoming one.

"Then why are we out here yelling at each other?" Weiss asks her holding back a sob.

"Because you've been so scared to get near Ruby that you've stopped paying attention to her."

"I give that childish rascal plenty of attention!" Mimicking Yang's defensive stance, Weiss stuck her nose in the air haughtily. "In fact I've given her too much attention, she's acting spoiled."

"Look who's talking," the blonde spat. "You treat her like crap—well, more so than usual—you wail on her for tiny mistakes, and to make things worse? You prattle on about Neptune as soon as she comes within ear shot of you. But Ruby's such a nice girl she still insists that the sun shines out of your ass!"

Weiss recoiled from the awkwardly worded statement. "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer or ask what it means, but I can see this conversation isn't going anywhere." Huffing in anger, the heiress tried to push past Yang saying, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my date. And for the record, I do not 'prattle on' about him."

"Uh, yeah you do."

"Uh, no I do not."

"Weiss, you aren't fooling anyone. Give up the charade already."

The heiress looked at her friend indignantly. "What?"

"Oh my god… you're not straight!" Yang finally yelled out, her anger boiling over.

"E-Excuse me?" Weiss' jaw dropped to the floor.

"You heard me Princess," Yang said taking in ragged breaths, "you're gayer than a rainbow!"

"I have a boyfriend—"

"Who you haven't even kissed." Weiss was taken aback, but she couldn't deny it. "You can't even bring yourself to hold his hand, or talk about anything that doesn't involve my little sister. But as soon as she comes around, you're suddenly oh so in love with him. Think about it Schnee, you're putting up an act to distance yourself from Ruby."

"As if you know what Neptune and I talk about."

Yang gave her a disbelieving look. "My girlfriend is a Faunus remember? She's heard _everything. _Those adorable bunny ears aren't just for decoration."

Weiss had completely forgotten about that, but that still didn't prove the oaf's point. In fact she was more than sure tonight would have been the night she and Neptune took their relationship a bit further. He had earned her trust, it only seemed fair.

"Back on the floor your eyes never met with his once. You were looking for someone else."

"Uh, doy? I was looking for you."

Yang narrowed her eyes and jabbed a finger at Weiss causing her to wince in pain. "For the love of all that is bacon, you were looking for someone in red. Someone who would risk life and limb just so you could live with a free conscience. Someone who's sitting in that cafeteria," she threw her arm towards the building they had just exited, "looking out from some window trying to nurse a broken heart."

"Ruby is—for some strange reason—rather popular. She's probably had a dozen boys ask her to the dance, it isn't my fault if she turned them all down." The Schnee heiress was really starting to lose her temper now. She had been looking forward to this night with Neptune, and now with Yang going on about something stupid, she was wasting precious time.

She hated wasting time.

"Why would she go with someone she doesn't want to go with?"

"So there was… was there someone she wanted to ask her?" The heiress turned to Yang who nodded her head. "Who?" The question had left her lips before she could properly articulate her thoughts. She didn't intend on letting her jealousy take over, but the thought of someone else holding Ruby made her sick to her stomach. "Who was it?"

Truthfully, she had been all too aware of the rift growing between her and her young partner. Yang was correct on every level, and it was killing her to hear it out in the open. Weiss prayed that as long as she kept herself an arm's reach away from Ruby, the fluttering—that godforsaken fluttering—would stop and she could go back to being normal, or as normal as the Schnee Dust Company's heiress was allowed to be.

"Yang?"

"I think I've said enough," sighed the older sister. "Just stop digging that hole you're in before you come out on the other side of the world. I don't want to wake up one morning only to find out Ruby's out racing to fetch your sorry ass."

"I—"

"Save it princess, I'm done talking."

"Yang, please, I'm begging you."

"She's waiting for _you_, dumbass. Don't mess up." With that said, Yang pushed past Weiss and headed back to the dance. She didn't like being away from Velvet for too long. "And you better treat her good."

Inside the mess hall, Velvet and Neptune shared a table with Jaune and Pyrrha. They were laughing about something silly the bumbling swordsman said. Velvet's ears perked up when she looked back to find her girlfriend stomping towards them like an angry bull. She noticed a solemn Weiss following behind Yang lost in deep thought, but she didn't care all too much at the moment. Velvet knew nearly everything that revolved around team RWBY, and the conversation Yang had with the haughty heiress was at the top of the list.

"Welcome back, sunshine." Standing up from her seat, the Faunus offered Yang her seat.

Politely declining the sweet gesture, Yang pushed it back under the table. She enveloped her arms around the older girl's shoulders, whispering something into her ear that made her grin. Velvet was going to help her out of that sexy little number sooner than expected.

Neptune saw the grim look on Weiss' face and rushed to her side. Whatever Yang had said to her really upset his snow angel. He touched her arm gently and smiled when she looked up at him. He noticed Weiss looked defeated and tired, her beautiful blue eyes conflicted and glossed over with unshed tears.

"Talk over some punch?" he asked intuitively. Weiss nodded her head and let him lead her over to the refreshment table.

He filled two crystal flutes and offered one to Weiss. She downed it in a single swig and handed it back to him asking for another wordlessly; her second glasses lasted a bit longer than the first. And after her fourth drink, Weiss finally spoke.

"Have you seen her?" she asked quietly.

Neptune's heart fell. "Y-Yeah, she's over in the corner… she looks really beautiful." He watched helplessly as his date spotted the fragile flower hiding across the dance floor. "I don't think she danced at all tonight."

"I see…" she mumbled. Weiss bit her bottom lip and stared wistfully at the younger girl. A lonely feeling filled her heart, or maybe it had always been there and she just never noticed. She cursed Yang and her existence several times before continuing. "Neptune, I—"

"Finally figured it out?" he said interrupting the girl's train of thought. "It's perfectly alright though, I sorta saw it coming. You might have been the only one who didn't notice, kind of funny really."

"If it was so obvious, why didn't anyone tell me?"

The blue haired boy gave her a funny look. "Would you have listened if someone did?"

"Of course I—ugh, probably not… but Ruby should have at least said something!"

"She probably didn't want to lose her best friend," Neptune explained to her thoughtfully. "And no offence, but you can be a bit scary when someone says the wrong thing around you."

"..."

"Like now for instance," he weakly grinned, his heart breaking in two. "You look adorable when you get all grumpy by the way."

"Neptune..."

"There won't be any hard feelings between us, I'm just happy you gave me a chance to be with you." Closing his eyes, Neptune took a deep breath, "Well then, what are you still doing here? You have a lonely lady to cheer up."

A weak nod was all Weiss could muster. Yang made a lot of valid points tonight, and it all pointed to Ruby as much as she hated to admit it. There was no going back.

"Weiss, don't worry about me," he placed his hand on the small of her back and placed a kiss on her temple. "Go to her. You both deserve to be happy."

"I'm sorry and thank you for everything." she managed to say before her feet began moving on their own. Weiss didn't look back at the boy, she didn't have the courage to.

Ruby was finally within view, but the closer she got to her, the harder it was to close the gap. The younger girl was beautiful—no, she surpassed that—she was exquisite. Weiss felt her mouth go dry as she took in the magnificent sight before her. Basking under the pale moonlight, looking morosely through the window, Ruby Rose had unknowingly stolen Weiss' heart.

"God damnit, Yang. You should have said something sooner."

In one short year, the redhead had blossomed into the loveliest rose Weiss had ever laid her eyes upon. Ruby's shoulder length hair was tied in a low ponytail that rested over her right shoulder, a simple white ribbon kept it from unfurling. There was something sad and poetic about that one article of cloth that made the heiress groan at her own stupidity. Ruby had been displaying her love for all to see, and she hadn't noticed at all.

Weiss eyed her not-so-secret admirer with a well trained eye. Ruby was in a vermillion one-shoulder dress that fanned out above her knees; it sinfully clung to the contours of her slender body enticing Weiss like a forbidden fruit. Looking down at her own dress, the heiress cringed with dissatisfaction. For the first time in her life, Weiss Schnee felt inadequate. She desperately looked for a clock, maybe there was still time for her to change into something more appropriate.

A young man walked up to her, but before he could ask for a dance, the girl's ice-blue eyes zoned in on his wristwatch. The dance was over at 1:00 a.m and it was only 11:30 p.m., she had time. Weiss bolted towards the doors leaving the puzzled stranger behind.

Weiss ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she had taken her stilettos off and continued to her dorm with reckless abandon. Cursing herself over and over, Weiss knew she owed Yang a serious apology. The neanderthal was right all along, however, that wasn't important right now; there was a rose she had to pick.

Inside the dorm, Weiss tore through her closet looking for a particular outfit. She had never worn it since it didn't suit her style, but the more she thought about what Yang said the more she wanted to wear it. Throwing out all distractions, Weiss focused on her task at hand. Tonight wasn't about her and her stupid pride. Tonight was going to be about Ruby and mending the bridge between them.

* * *

><p>Ruby sighed as she turned another dance down. She had lost count after the fourth boy, but if she had to throw out a random number, she suspected it to be around seven or ten. Socials had never been her thing, the only reason why she was even here in the first place was because her sister forced her to come. Though after taking a quick look around, Ruby couldn't find the boisterous blonde and her date or Weiss and hers anywhere. So as usual, Ruby was alone with no one to talk to but herself. Which normally wouldn't have bothered her, she thought of herself as great company, but with the three month holiday break fast approaching, her head was a raging battlefield.<p>

_Why don't you just go home and save us both the trouble, _her mind growled irritability. _You waiting for Weiss to find you or something? Because you know she won't, right?_

A new wave of pain washed over her at the thought of her partner and her dashing boyfriend. They were a great match together, and Ruby was "happy" for them.

_I'm not waiting for anyone, _Ruby said to herself in a biting tone. _This just happens to be my favourite spot in the room. It's comfortable._

_You can keep telling yourself that, but who are you trying to fool here? You're waiting for Weiss._

Tears threatened to fall when an image of Neptune and Weiss dancing flashed through her mind. It took all of her willpower to drown out her jealous feelings.

_No, I'm not. Now shut up, you sound like Yang!_

_Hey, I'm not the one talking to herself._

Ruby scratched her cheek nervously when she realized how far she was taking the mental conversation. Maybe she should have accepted one of the invitations, she thought disapprovingly, then maybe she wouldn't be sitting here feeling sorry for herself.

She was willing to give anything just to end the pointless feud with herself, and erase the frosty heiress from her heart once and for all. But that wasn't what she truly wanted. Weiss may never explicitly say it, but she depended on Ruby to be there for her. And even if her feelings caused her nothing but pain, the tiny seeds of happiness they sowed around Weiss' troubled heart made it all worth while. Nothing sweeter than your first love right?

When did it happen and how exactly did she fall in love with Weiss Schnee of all people? She had asked herself this question every night for the past four months, never once coming close to an answer. There were a number of theories ping-ponging about, the most common idea was that maybe it had always been there waiting for her quietly tucked away in her heart. Ruby entertained that idea for a few days, but ultimately decided that was definitely not the reason.

That silly preconceived notion of "true love" didn't exist. Ruby wasn't born to love Weiss, in fact she still disliked the girl a fair amount, if anything she was born to be a thorn in her side. She didn't like how stuffy and snooty Weiss acted around people, or how annoyingly right she had to be about everything, and she definitely disliked how absolutely perfect she was at everything she did.

Running both hands through her hair, Ruby cried out in frustration. Two more days and she would finally be free from schoolwork, lectures, awful cafeteria food, and of course a certain snooty heiress. Ruby had been looking forward to summer break, she had a binder—Weiss' binder to be specific—filled with highly detailed plans that involved her and her old friends. Every day was going to be jam packed with so much fun and adventure that she wouldn't have any time to spare thinking about Weiss. It was perfect.

But she would miss her.

She would miss everything about her.

For three whole months she would be away from Weiss with no contact. Ruby knew that once her partner touches down on Atlesian soil, the huntress Weiss Schnee would cease to exist, and sprouting in her place would be Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. She would painlessly slip back into her old life, focus on her future business and forget all about Beacon… she would forget about Ruby.

Silk white gloves slid over the young girl's eyes frightening her out of her wits. Just as she was about to counter a sweet, fragrant smell filled her highly attuned senses. Ruby knew this delightful poison well. It hunted her down like a starved predator and refused to let her go once it sank its teeth in. It invaded her dreams and clawed at every waking thought after; there was no escaping this beautiful monster.

"Weiss," Ruby whispered taking in the girl's intoxicating scent.

"How did you know it was me?" Weiss asked in mild surprise.

Ruby pried her friend's hands off of her face, but didn't let them go. She hardly ever got the chance to touch her partner anymore, Weiss made sure of that personally. The older girl didn't wait for an answer and pulled away much to Ruby's chagrin.

Slow dance music began filtering through the large cleverly hidden speakers. The future CEO of the Schnee Dust Company took this as her cue, and moved around Ruby in tentative steps until she stood in front of the girl. She clicked her heels together, straightened her back and bowed elegantly as she offered Ruby her hand. Silver eyes widened in surprise, never in her wildest dreams did she expect this.

"May I have this dance?"

"Um…"

"Yes or no, we don't have all night."

Weiss was dressed in a white on light blue aristocrat jacket with wide lapels, and a ruffled coattail that swayed past her shins; a silver chain bridged the gap between snowflake buttons; one on each side of the jacket. Gold epaulettes rested on her shoulders, the Schnee family crest was embroidered on the flat surface; a larger version of the crest could be seen on Weiss' back. Underneath the jacket was a white vest with a matching shirt done up by black buttons. A red jabot was tied around her neck, it concealed most of the shirt from view. The heiress stood on black foldover calf-high boots, the heels raised her three inches off of the ground. Unfortunately, even with the help of her boots, Ruby was still an inch taller than Weiss.

Ruby gawked at her friend, her mind completely blank. A weak "wow" was all she managed to say. Timidly, her hand slid into Weiss'. The older girl smiled at her reassuringly and guided her to the center of the dance floor. Surprised gasps and eager whispers sprang up from from the other couples like weeds on a perfect lawn. Ruby couldn't help but blush from all the attention she and Weiss garnered. It scared her and she wanted to run away, but a firm grasp from her heart's desire gave her focus.

"Weiss, um…"

"Shoosh," Weiss whispered into the girl's ear as she snaked her free hand around the small of Ruby's back. The heiress lead them, doing her best to ignore Ruby's clumsy steps. She looked at the blushing girl and chuckled, "Relax and just have fun, don't pay any attention to the others."

"B-But—"

"B-But what?" Weiss grinned copying Ruby's stutter. "Come on, out with it."

"Y-You… me… um… um…" Scared silver eyes stared into calm ice blue and melted. Ruby loved this woman with all her heart, there was no doubt about it. "Thank you…"

"For what?"

Ruby was embarrassed that something as simple as a dance could make her weak kneed and incomprehensible. "This dance, but you should go back to your boyfriend… I'm sure he'd want to share this with you." A perfect silver eyebrow arched upward in question. "I-I mean, uh… where is Neptune?"

"We broke up." Weiss said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"What!?" Ruby exclaimed startling everyone around her. She quickly apologized and said in a much quieter voice, "What happened, did you two get into a fight or something? Should I get Nora to break his legs?" An adorable scowl appeared on her face as she corrected herself, "No, should_ I _break his legs? Because you know I'll do it."

"No, no," Weiss spun Ruby around, catching her mid-fall when she stepped on her dress, "I just realized something important. Something I really should have noticed a long time ago."

"And that is…?"

Weiss pulled the girl to her chest and stopped moving. She stared longingly into her partner's eyes, apologizing without verbalizing her thoughts. A genuine smile graced her lips as she leaned in and whispered, "You."

Ruby's eyes widened in disbelief, her breath hitching when Weiss pulled away. And in the blink of an eye, Ruby was gone and in her place a gust of falling petals. Weiss reached out and caught one before it disappeared. She shook her head and flipped her ponytail in frustration.

"Of all the—" Weiss seethed feeling her cheeks grow hotter by the second. "Dammit." With all the dignity she could muster, Weiss turned about-face and marched out of the mess hall.

After fleeing from the dance she encountered a small flight of stairs, and with the grace of an obese corgi, Ruby tripped on her dress before she could even take the first step. Ruby cursed her stupidity for running in heels and pushed herself up with her forearms. Feeling a second presence directly behind her, Ruby dared to take a quick glance knowing who it was. Ruby bit her tongue when she confirmed her fears and saw the grouchy fencer holding her discarded shoe. She glared at it from the ground and swore a vendetta against it for tripping her.

"Why did you run away?" Weiss asked nonchalantly, annoyance clear in her eyes.

"Because you teased me."

"I tease you all the time."

"This was different."

"How?"

Ruby staggered to her feet and pulled off the other shoe. "You said you realized I was important."

"You're my partner, of course you're important," Weiss replied smoothly.

"Oh, that's what you meant… jeez, I'm stupid," the teenager sighed in disappointment. Weiss walked over to Ruby and handed the defiant stiletto back, getting a mumbled word of gratitude in return. "Weiss, let me be clear about something."

"Hm?"

"I'm in love with you—though you've probably already figured it out, huh? And I know I may have a tendency to be immature sometimes, but that doesn't make me a kid. I'm still your team leader no matter what, and my personal feelings for you will not interfere or hinder in my judgement. So I don't appreciate what you're trying to do here. I refuse to be some sort of pity case." Ruby glared at the ground unable to look at her stunning friend. "I put up with your teasing, your criticisms, outbursts, and everything that makes you difficult to be around. You can yell at me till your voice goes hoarse, I don't mind. I know you only do it because you care… but for you to purposely toy with my emotions like that, that's something I can't forgive. Weiss, you need to know your place."

"Ruby, I—"

"Enough. Thank you for the dance Weiss, it was a dream come true," Ruby managed to feign a smile. "But it's time for the princess to go back to her prince. Don't worry about me, I can make it back to the dorms on my own."

Brokenhearted, Ruby turned around to leave. She could hear Weiss' steps, but instead of drawing farther away they were getting closer. Strong, slender arms wrapped around Ruby's waist in a comforting embrace that sent her heart rocketing.

"Let me go, Weiss!" she said struggling.

"No!" Weiss screamed back a little louder than she intended to. "Just listen to me, please. I didn't put on this stupid get-up for nothing!"

It was suffocating, but she couldn't get enough of the ice queen's embrace. The more Ruby fought, the tighter Weiss held her.

"I've never really been emotionally attached to anyone before, this is actually the first time I've ever had friends—real friends—and I don't know how to describe how happy I am without stealing excerpts from a book." Weiss rested her cheek against Ruby's temple nuzzling close to her. "I owe your sister an apology and thank-you later, she made me realize that I had been staring at the answer this entire time."

"Weiss—"

"No, let me finish."

"But—"

"What did I just say?"

"No, Weiss. The things you feel is different than what I feel. I want to do things like go on dates, hold hands and k-ki… kiss you." Ruby's face couldn't get any redder. "I also want to do some _other_ things with you that Yang and my dad might not approve of."

"Is that all you're worried about?"

"Dammit, you aren't even attracted to girls!" Ruby growled viciously, "Ugh, this is so frustrating I want to scream and kiss you all at the same time! I wish Yang didn't drag me out here tonight—I knew I should have stayed home. Played board games with team CFVY or something."

Rolling her eyes, Weiss brought her left hand up and caressed the redhead's cheek lovingly. Ruby gasped in surprised and held her breath when Weiss leaned in saying, "You look absolutely radiant in that dress."

Their first kiss was nothing more than shyly touching each other's lips. Neither daring to move in fear of ruining the moment, but Weiss' neck was starting to hurt and Ruby couldn't feel her legs anymore. Blue stared into silver for a brief moment before a new, powerful emotion took a hold of them both. It wasn't clear who moved first, not that it really mattered either.

Weiss recaptured her leader's lips desperate for her touch. Using her free hand, Weiss slowly slid it down the length of Ruby's silk dress, her fingers rolling the smooth material up and under her palm. Without missing a beat, the redhead pushed herself off of the ground and locked her legs behind Weiss' back. In order to support the added weight, Weiss released Ruby's leg and braced it under her bottom giving it a firm squeeze; a throaty, guttural moan rumbled through the younger girl urging Weiss to continue. They had no idea what they were doing, but it felt too good—too right—to ever want to stop.

The hand that cradled Ruby's back ran up and buried itself into the girl's hair. Tangled deep within the rose-scented carmine forest, Weiss curled her fingers and slowly dragged it down releasing it from the pesky ribbon. A painful burn smoldered deep within Ruby's lungs reminding her of the need to breathe. Breaking the kiss, Ruby threw her head back taking in deep breaths.

Glowing from the sudden lack of contact, Weiss' lust addled mind targeted the next best thing. Determined lips latched onto the base of Ruby's neck leaving soft butterfly kisses along the expanse leading up to her ear. Curiosity drove the heiress to nip at the other girl's earlobe, a sharp intake of air told her to keep going. Doing as requested, Weiss nipped at it again and flicked her tongue, Ruby's unrestrained response sounded like music to her ears.

"Hn…"

Pulling herself away from the girl to get some much needed air, Weiss was shocked to find that they were lying on grass. She couldn't recall how they managed to get there, but couldn't find a reason to complain since it was leagues better than falling on rough cement.

"Well," she panted, "that was a thing."

"Get back here," Ruby threw her arms around Weiss' neck and pulled her back down, "I'm not done with you yet."

Without the fear of falling, or being seen, the girls threw their inhibitions away. Curious hands grabbed, squeezed and caressed with reckless abandon, but Ruby's had a different agenda compared to her new lover's and acted with purpose. Without realizing it, Weiss had lost most of her outerwear and was dangerously close to losing her shirt as well.

"Mm," Ruby melted into their kiss loving every second of it. She gasped out in surprise when a gloved hand hiked her dress up to her lower thigh. The cool night air made her shiver and hold Weiss closer, yet at the same time she felt like her whole body was on fire. "W-Weiss," Ruby called out desperately, but the older girl didn't hear. "Weiss… I—"

Hearing that needy voice broke the cage holding back the beast in Weiss' subconscious. She had never done anything like this before, but the way her body moved told her something else was in control.

Ruby's heart thundered against her chest when Weiss looked deep into her eyes. She knew what that hungry stare meant, she knew it all too well. How many times had she watched Weiss change out of her clothes with that same expression? She had dreamed about touching and mapping every inch of that warm, beautiful alabaster body every night after she realized her feelings.

_Wait, that stare_, Ruby yelped when the alarms began ringing in her brain. "Weiss, Weiss," she moaned struggling to form coherent words, "we need to stop. Weiss, snap out if it!"

Being the ever refined lady she was, Weiss halted her advance and looked down at her lover's beet red face. "Something wrong?"

"W-We should probably cool off before we go too far," Ruby winced at the hurt expression on her beloved's face.

"Forgive me," Weiss said biting her lip nervously, I don't know where my head was at."

"Between my legs apparently," Ruby joked trying to lighten the mood, but it did little to ease the guilt clouding Weiss' eyes. In a sudden burst of courage, Ruby tightened her hold around Weiss' neck refusing to let her go. "But I'm not mad you dork. I really enjoyed it, and if we weren't out in the cold I'd probably let you continue."

"N-No, it was wrong of me to lose control like that."

"But I wanted it just as much as you."

"Still…"

Now it was Ruby's turn to roll her eyes and said, "You might want to button up your shirt."

Weiss looked down and saw that Ruby had undone most of the buttons and her belt, that little bit of information helped push her guilt out the window. After straightening themselves out, Ruby latched herself onto Weiss' arm. She giggled nervously as she thought back on what just happened.

"Hey, thanks for stopping when I asked."

"I would rather die than force myself on you."

"Yang would probably kill us both if I gave it to you so soon."

"Give what to me?" Weiss asked curiously, her mind still bustling with inappropriate thoughts.

"My virginity, what else?" Ruby deadpanned.

"Oh… you?"

"What kind of hussy do you think I am?" Ruby shouted in offense, her molten silver glare freezing Weiss on the spot.

"Well, I mean..." Weiss bit her lip nervously, she had never given this any thought. She just assumed Ruby had at least experimented before based on how she reacted to Weiss' ministrations. "It isn't unheard of for girls to have already _you know_, I didn't want to be rude and assume."

"I'm fifteen you pervert! Sex isn't exactly my top priority—it is there though. Stupid teenage hormones," Ruby begrudgingly explained. "And what about you ice queen, still as pure as freshly driven snow?"

"Ha. ha. Very funny, but this was the most I've ever done with anyone."

"Me, too."

"Are we even?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Ruby pulled her teammate closer. "Hey, Weiss?"

"What?"

"Do you think we can keep things clean till I turn eighteen?"

It was only a hypothetical question, Ruby knew she'd crack long before Weiss and her stalwart discipline would. If she asked, the heiress would agree to wait till they were old and married before taking their relationship further. Truthfully she didn't mind the idea of being intimate at such a young age. Being a huntress meant living neck and neck with danger, so holding back once in a lifetime experiences was a foolhardy ideal. Her mother's early demise taught her that much at least.

She wanted to be with Weiss in every way possible. Giving herself to her partner didn't scare her, it was the possibilities afterwards that did. She had heard countless stories about couples who broke up because of impatience, and since this would be her first official relationship Ruby couldn't help but feel anxious. On one hand she could have Weiss take her right here and right now, but run the risk of having her lose interest later on. And on the other hand she could postpone it, torture themselves with excessive sexual tension, and eventually bore her into the arms of another.

It was starting to seem like a lose-lose situation.

This dilemma, however, was just her overactive imagination throwing her for a loop. She knew in her heart that Weiss would wait, she just wanted to hear her say it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Weiss said confidently as she leaned down and kissed Ruby's cheek. "I hope you can forgive me for being so slow and not realizing how I felt till now. Ruby, everything I have and everything I am is yours forever."

"Well that's silly, forever doesn't exist."

Quirking a brow, Weiss smirked. "Only if you can't leave your mark in the world. And last time I checked, I'm still on the path to revolutionize it."

Hearing the words she desperately longed for, albeit fancier than expected, Ruby made up her mind right then and there. "Yup, that's it. You win. Book a hotel room, closest one there is."

"Excuse me?"

"Book a hotel room like right _now_," she repeated. "Now."

"I'm not following you, explain please."

"Do it before I lose my resolve and make you wait three years," Ruby commanded. Shaking her head in exasperation, Weiss pulled out her scroll and searched for a hotel. "And make sure it's a nice fancy one, and I demand breakfast in bed. Oh, and those little mint things on the pillow."

"Dating for less than a minute and you're already milking me for all I'm worth." Weiss called the number listed on the webpage, still unsure of what was going through the girl's head. "I still don't get it."

"Do you want me to spell it out?"

"No, I want you to explain it clea—ah, good evening, do you happen to have any rooms available at the moment?" Ruby tugged on Weiss' sleeve so she could hear the conversation as well.

"_In fact we do."_

"What's the nicest room you have?" Ruby spoke up.

"_We have the penthouse suite available, but—"_

"We'll take it!" the redhead said before the heiress could say anything.

Shaking her young lover off of her arm, Weiss shot her a glare and received a cheesy grin in return. "Will I be able to book it for tonight and tomorrow?"

"_Yes, but it's our priciest room."_

"Doesn't matter. Reserve it under Weiss Schnee, I'll be there in an hour or so, give or take."

"_M-Ms. Schnee!? Alright, the room will be ready by the time you arrive."_

Snatching the scroll from Weiss, Ruby said, in her best authoritarian voice, "And we demand the little mint things on pillows! Make it happen, chop-chop!"

Weiss stole the device back and hung up before Ruby could make anymore outrageous demands. She shot a questioning glare at her partner who whistled innocently. "You better tell me what this is all about right now."

"Isn't it obvious, Princess?" Ruby asked grinning from ear to ear. "You're helping me out of this stupid dress."

"It does seem a little difficult, how did you ever manage to put it on?"

"Weiss, how innocent can you be?" Ruby poked her new girlfriend in the rib.

"Hmph!"

"You're going to take me to that hotel, help me out of this stuffy boob trap, then you and I will continue where we left off."

"Um... Does this mean you want to—but I thought you?"

"Oh for the love of bacon, Weiss we're going to be apart for three months." Ruby growled. "My birthday is two weeks from now, call this an advanced birthday present."

"But—"

"Weiss, shut up. I need bragging material if I'm going to survive being around my old crew. And what better way to prove my awesome superiority than by saying I banged the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Staring dully at the overexcited redhead, Weiss felt herself slowly regretting her decision. "You are vulgar and disgusting."

"Says the perv topping a minor on school grounds."

"Oh, so now you're blackmailing me? Great. Just great." Weiss grumbled. "Hello father, you wouldn't believe the year I've had! First I rode a nevermore and nearly plummeted to my doom, played second fiddle to a child no less, found myself embroiled deep within a criminal organization's ploy to take over the world, and that isn't even the worst of it! Just recently, I've been blackmailed into sleeping with my team leader—that's right, I got blackmailed by a child. Embarrassing, I know! May I please request a transfer to another planet?"

Ruby snorted, laughing at Weiss' theatrics. "Haha, wow you're snarky."

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>Ruby slipped out of the bathroom in nothing but a long, white bathrobe. She scanned the penthouse looking for her teammate starting with the in-suite kitchen; the grey granite countertop caught her immediate interest. Sitting on top of the kitchen island was a silver ice bucket chilling a complimentary bottle of the hotel's finest champagne, beside it was a small card detailing warm greetings and hope for a pleasant stay, and two intricately designed crystal flutes next to an equally extravagant fruit basket.<p>

"First the overkill welcome," she grumbled to herself, "and now a bottle of—whatever the hell this is." Pulling the bottle from the ice, Ruby tried and failed a number of times trying to pronounce the fancy, accented name inscribed on the label.

She was a little overwhelmed with how far the hotel was willing to accommodate Weiss and herself. Her mind recalled the lengths the hotel manager went to please the Schnee heiress, and if Weiss allowed him to he would have probably kissed her feet. Ruby's thoughts halted abruptly on the embarrassing memory of finding a box of condoms and strawberry flavoured lubricant in the bathroom.

_Where did they even get that?_ she asked herself.

Ruby could only imagine how flustered her girlfriend must have been when she happened upon them; Weiss had taken a shower first. Actually, it wasn't that difficult to guess. The heiress had left the bathroom blushing furiously, and Ruby knew it wasn't because she had decided to take a scalding hot shower since she prefered them cold.

Putting the bottle back with a defeated sigh, the redhead sauntered out to the balcony for some air. Ruby spotted her new girlfriend out there dressed in a similar fashion, resting her chin on folded-over arms. Weiss was leaning forward, adorable little tush sticking out, gazing down at the dimly lit streets with a blank stare seemingly lost in thought. Her soft, pink lips were pulled back in the familiar tight frown that Weiss often used when she was in doubt.

"Hello," Weiss said in a velvety tone that melted her partner's heart.

"Hey, beautiful," Ruby cooed back as she wrapped her arms around Weiss' slim waist.

She buried her nose in the long, silken strands of snow-white hair that could only belong to a true Schnee heir. Ruby had countless dreams involving her and Weiss in a position similar to this, and now that she was actually living it she had no idea what to do next. Her heart was going a mile a minute, she was really doing this—she was actually holding her.

"Mm, you smell nice."

Weiss caught her breath when she felt a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck. "Ruby," she sighed contentedly, "hey, that tickles."

"Hm…" the younger teen ignored her whine and continued to press loving kisses wherever she wanted. "Weiss, I love you."

Heat rose to the heiress' cheeks when Ruby's warm breath ghosted over her ear carrying sweet whispers of adoration. She swallowed hard and begged her heart to slow down, but the darned thing refused to obey her and sped up instead.

"I—," the words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say a half-truth, "I adore you."

The words seemed to please the girl even though Weiss didn't say those three words back to her, she understood her partner well enough to know that emotional connections were difficult for her. And even if their bodies connected long before their hearts could, it would only be a matter of time. Weiss had already promised herself to Ruby, and a Schnee never goes back on their word.

"Continue where we left off or…?"

"That depends on you, are you completely sure this is what you want?"

"Weiss, what is it you really want to ask me?"

"Alright..." Shifting herself so she could look into her teammate's eyes, Weiss tried her best to smile, but Ruby's concerned expression stopped her cold. "Am I really what you want?"

Ruby looked at Weiss thoughtfully for a moment then eagerly nodded with a hum, "Uh-huh, yup."

"But I'm demanding, difficult to be around, _and _I haven't exactly been the nicest person to you."

"So? I like that about—not the mean part, I didn't like that so much at the beginning, but...ugh, you know? Can't I just like you for you?"

Weiss stared at the younger girl skeptically. "You deserve to be with someone who can shower you with love and affection. I-I can't even go a day without insulting you."

"You do give me all that and more, and it's not really an insult if you're telling the truth," Ruby said with a half laugh, grinning proudly. "And I _kinda_ like it when you get all ice queen on me—sorry if that sounded creepy."

"No, I enjoy it, too…" the heiress reluctantly admitted. "We make an odd pair."

"My favourite part is when I get you to melt and have be all nice to me again."

"You're far too kind to me, you dear sweet girl. And after everything I've said and done, you should hate me—but you don't."

"Not wrong there," Ruby mumbled under her breath completely forgetting about their close proximity. The hurt look on Weiss' face had her careening backwards as soon as the words left her mouth. "Damnit, I didn't mean it like that!"

"No, you meant every word," Weiss stated harshly. "You speak whatever is on your mind without a filter. That is what you do. That is what you're good at."

"Weiss—!"

"It's also what I like about you," she continued in a much softer tone. "You're not scared to talk back to me and put me in my place. And god knows I need someone to kick me off of my pedestal, and I'm glad that person is you."

The heiress pushed past her in tears fighting Ruby's desperate reach every step of the way. Having had enough of their silly game of cat and mouse, Ruby threw her whole weight at Weiss and tackled her to the ground. After yelping in pain and surprise, Weiss continued to scream and struggle.

"Let me go you dunce!" she hissed, arms straining to push Ruby away.

"Weiss, I'm not going to let you go—I'm never going to let you go!" She laid on top of her not caring about the smarting scratch marks Weiss' impeccably manicured nails were leaving on her collar. "Please, just hear me out."

"You've already made yourself perfectly clear."

"Yeah, but you're focusing on the wrong part!"

"Wrong part?"

Ruby shook her head in disappointment. "Jumping to conclusions isn't very flattering, snowflake." The upset heiress relaxed and pouted rather cutely at the pet name. "I was agreeing with you when you said that I should hate you," Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced with a kiss. "Nope. No talking until I'm done."

Caressing Weiss' cheek with the gentlest of touches, Ruby leaned in and kissed her tears away. Weiss watched in awe as the redhead traced the mark crossing over the left side of her face. She stared at it intently with a question in her eyes, but chose not to ask out of common courtesy.

"I could never hate you no matter what you say or do."

"While I am indeed happy to hear that, I am _still_ not good enough for you."

Ruby tugged the stubborn girl's cheek as far as it could go and held it there until Weiss begged for mercy.

"How can anyone be better than you? You're Weiss Schnee! Smart, talented, super pretty, reliable, and the voice of reason in team RWBY. If I didn't have you keeping me in line, we'd probably be dead by now."

"No, what I do is undermine your authority—I'm sorry for that by the way."

"Pfft, you're my partner. That kinda makes you co-leader, and I've always listened to your advice."

"That still doesn't make it right."

"You were born to lead, babe, it's in your blood. I rely on you to keep me leveled; we balance each other out. And no matter how crazy my plans are, you still support me and follow through."

"C-Can you say that again?" Weiss looked into Ruby's eyes hopefully.

Ruby pouted and playfully nipped her partner's nose. "I'm not repeating that corny speech."

"No, the n-name—I want you to say that name again."

"You mean 'babe'?" Weiss nodded her head sheepishly. "Alright babe, I want to make myself clear: I only want you."

"All of me? Even the bad?"

"_All of you_." Ruby repeated with confidence. "I want the full Weiss Schnee rainbow spectrum! I don't need the prim and proper heiress putting on airs around me. I want the girl under the frilly dress—out of it preferably, if you know what I mean."

"You already have me out of my dress, and now this stupid itchy robe." Ruby gawked at their state of undress wondering how she managed not to notice. "Did you seriously not notice?"

"Sorry, I was busy making sure my girlfriend didn't run away from me."

"Girlfriend?"

"W-Well yeah, we're dating now right?"

"I don't know, are we?"

"Are you teasing me?" Confused beyond belief, Ruby puffed out her cheeks not knowing what else to do at the moment.

The heiress took that as a challenge and pulled her arms out from under Ruby, wrapping them around her waist. The girl on top stammered nervously when she felt Weiss' chest press against her own. Ruby's befuddled state excited Weiss more than she thought it would, but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless. Thinking to herself, Weiss wondered exactly how far she could tease the girl.

Tracing down the curve of her girlfriend's spine, relishing her weak whimpers and sighs, Weiss' smirk escalated to a full grin. "Sweet, naive little Ruby, from this day forward you belong to me," she stated smugly. "And in return I am willing to give you all that I have: my sword, my loyalty, my name, and my life. All of it is yours and yours alone."

"Why does it sound like I'm getting the better deal here?"

"D-Do you not understand what I'm trying to say?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, not really."

Grumbling to herself, Weiss shyly explained, "I want all of you, so I'm giving all of me in return."

"You're making this sound like a marriage proposal again—wait, you aren't really asking me to, um... are you?"

"No," the heiress replied snidely, "but if we do what you brought me here to do, then we're not really going to have a choice in the long run. I'm a bargaining chip, that's my role in life. If you take me tonight, you have to take _all of me_. That includes my future with my family's company."

"Oh…" Realization washed over Ruby like a crushing tidal wave. The girl had honestly forgotten that Weiss' life wasn't completely her own, and that she had responsibilities and duties that only she could fulfill, then someday she would have to marry someone of equal or greater influence.

A somber chuckle ripped through the awkward silence. "This is what I was thinking about on the balcony. Do you understand now? Do you understand why I kept asking if I was what you wanted?"

Ruby's throat was dryer than a desert, she came here mentally preparing herself for something physical and ignored the probability of facing emotional repercussions. Being intimate with Weiss was all she had been able to think about for so long, and when the opportunity made itself known, she jumped at it without thinking.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Weiss whispered, "and it's entirely my fault for neglecting to tell you this sooner. Granted, I never expected to find myself longing for your embrace as desperately as I did back there. Desire can cloud a fool's mind, and I am no different."

Ruby slid off of Weiss and fixed her robe not caring if the other girl saw everything, she was far beyond the point of embarrassment now. However, she did spare a second to glance down the length of her partner's perfect body. Weiss laid still on her back smirking proudly, she was taunting Ruby to take the bait and a moment ago the girl would have pounced at the chance, but instead she held her hand out to help Weiss to her feet.

"C'mon princess, the floor's cold."

Taking her hand, Weiss gave her a word of gratitude and watched Ruby go from a sun kissed beauty to a walking ripe tomato. "So what's your decision?"

"I think I need a drink."

"Drinking away your sorrows isn't the best idea."

"Yeah, but it's still better than nothing—and I'm just really, really thirsty."

"Oh?"

Ruby left Weiss behind and opened the bottle of champagne with ease. "You're not going to harp on me for drinking this will you?"

"Please, I've been taking wine with my meals since I was thirteen."

"Family dinners must've sucked royally if you had to get shitfaced to tolerate it."

"You have no idea," Weiss chuckled.

Nodding her head knowingly, Ruby poured the alcohol into the crystal flutes. "I'll find out how bad it is first hand eventually, but tonight I'd like to have a drink with my girlfriend."

"Dating is fine—I should've said that first—my father won't kill us for that. But premarital sex will definitely be off the table."

"Well of course it'll be off the table!" Ruby scoffed as she handed Weiss her glass. "It's not very comfortable there, but if you're into that I don't think I'd mind."

"N-No, Ruby, that's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

Weiss accepted the glass and took a sip. "No, I don't think you do."

"It's the other way around, I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say."

"Hu—_oh_."

"Yeah," Ruby breathed. "Oh."


	7. Chapter Six

**New content from here on out folks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

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><p><span><em><strong>Present Time<strong>_

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><p>Weiss sent her nastiest glare hurtling towards her daughter with all the fury an angry mother could muster. However, the young girl stood her ground and returned the unfriendly stare. If she wasn't so furious, Weiss would have been extremely proud of Blanc's courage.<p>

"Do you know how disappointed I am with you?" the older Schnee asked, her voice harsh and dripping with ice-cold venom. "All you had to do was stay in the manor and wait for my return. What part of my simple instruction left room for you to sneak out unattended?"

"I wasn't alone," Blanc growled defiantly. "Crescent Rose was with me, Isn't that right, girl?"

"Wan, wan!"

Turning her attention away from her rebellious child, Weiss cautiously eyed the crimson canine automaton sitting on its hind legs, tail wagging as innocently as can be. The dog cocked its head to the right, tongue lolling lazily over its bottom jaw as a dark-red scope flipped over its left eye. A small hatch in the back of its neck opened allowing a miniaturized missile launcher and laser sight to perch on the top of its head. The laser sight flickered on shooting a blinding red light that searched for the center of Weiss' forehead.

The mechanical beast was Ruby's self-proclaimed second greatest invention; the first was, surprise surprise, a cookie dough cannon. She designed the hound after her old weapon, even going as far as breathing life into it by incorporating a highly advanced AI. It had taken her years to produce a semi-functioning prototype, but Ruby's incident abruptly halted all progress. And over the months during its creator's absence, Crescent Rose's AI degraded to its earliest stage: an actual dog. In fact the only sentient function it could process, other than its basic canine instincts to gnaw on Weiss' shoes, was the order to protect Blanc from any threat. Fiercely loyal to the little girl, the fully weaponized pooch, with an incomplete, trigger happy mind, was raring to do just that. Unfortunately Ruby had forgotten to extrapolate on the numerous forms of "threatening behavior," and basically made it so anything emotionally jarring to its charge was reason enough to… "bust a few caps," as Yang so eloquently said upon its activation.

"Crescent Rose, stand down!" Weiss ordered, but the dog stayed resolute. "Blanc, tell your pet to stand down. You know how I feel about assassination attempts."

"You yelled at me!" the girl exclaimed with a pout, she crossed her arms and waited for an apology.

"Argrrr…"

"Of all the ridiculous things to happen to me," Weiss grumbled as she rubbed her temples in soothing circles. The heiress looked back on her life trying to figure out what she had done to deserve this, but the only thing she could think about was the disastrous redhead who literally turned her world upside down. Thinking aloud, a crooked grin tugged at the edge of her lips. "Ruby, you gorgeous dimwit, seven years and you're still a hazard to my health."

"Just say you're sorry," Neptune chuckled when entered the room. Crescent Rose hopped to its feet and snarled menacingly at the man quickly assessing him as a new threat. "Whoa there mecha-puppy, I come in peace," he said holding his hands up in defence. "Hey, I know I ask you this every time, but is it always this dangerous in your house, Weiss?"

A tired groan was the woman's initial response, but decorum demanded she properly reply. "Hello, Neptune."

"Sup," he said with a suave grin.

"Uncle Neptune!" the younger heiress exclaimed eagerly.

Shooting her a wink, Neptune nodded his head. "Sup, Yeti."

"Blanc, head downstairs and take Crescent Rose with you, Mr. Vasilias and I have some business to attend to."

"But—"

"Now."

"Wait, but I—"

Exhaling, Weiss closed her eyes and tried to think calming thoughts. "I don't have time for this, Blanc. I told you to go downstairs, now go. End of discussion."

Hearing the nonchalant order, the little girl's face contorted in anger, tears threatening to fall the longer she stayed in her mother's presence.

"I hate you," she spat bitterly as she hopped off of her chair. As usual she was being pushed aside for more "pressing matters" and it was wearing her thin; everything seemed to be more important than her.

Weiss shot up from her desk, lurching menacingly over Blanc and Crescent Rose. Blanc let out a terrified whimper, her arms covering her face defensively to protect her against her mother's searing glare. "You can hate me all you want," Weiss hissed, "it still doesn't change the fact that _I_ am _your_ mother."

Worried, Crescent Rose retracted its weaponry and nudged its head under its master's palm. "Aroo?"

Neptune stood in front of Blanc trying to shift Weiss' attention away from her, he gave the little Schnee a small smile, petting her head reassuringly. "Now hold on a minute, that was—"

"It's okay, Uncle Neptune," the girl mumbled in sad understanding. "Let's go, Crescent Rose… Mama's had a rough day."

Blanc gave Neptune a quick hug and led her dog out of her mother's study without saying anything further. She understood better than anyone not to pester her mother when she was like this, and neither Neptune or Weiss knew if this acknowledgement was a good thing.

Hiding her eyes under her clasped hands, Weiss took a deep calming breath. "Goddamnit, what in Remnant did I just do?" she asked herself, instantly regretting her actions. "I am so sorry you had to witness that, Neptune. I-I need to apologize to her right now."

"You both need to calm down. Give her a little space, she's as stubborn as you are and you know how you get when you're ticked off." Neptune's lips formed a thin line as he contemplated on a way to cheer the frustrated woman up. He fished around for the scroll in his pocket, when he found it he brought it out into the open. "You'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that, princess."

"Wrinkles are the least of my problems," she said quietly, "but, nevertheless, thank you for your concern."

"The world is a crappier place if the most beautiful lady in it is unhappy."

Nodding, Weiss looked off to the side sighing heavily, "Do you think she's unhappy?"

The white-haired woman closed her eyes and thought about her estranged wife. Weiss had done literally everything in her power to help Ruby, but no matter what she did the redhead refused to properly acknowledge her. It was pure agony to keep her charade of a cool and confident business woman going when all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear. The pressure was getting to her and Blanc was paying the price for it.

"That depends," the man shrugged. "The lady you're thinking of is happy, but the one I'm talking about just had a nasty fight with her kid."

Weiss blushed at the compliment and crinkled her nose. "I messed up."

"All apart of being a mom, don't sweat it."

"_My_ mother never once raised her voice at me."

"Then your mother must be a saint, because my mom used to come at me with a spatula screaming whenever I did something stupid."

"How is Cordelia?" Weiss asked curiously. She had met his mother once before, but that was years ago.

"She upgraded from a spatula to a frying pan," he laughed then winced when he recalled his last visit home. "Cast iron. It still hurts."

Weiss unconsciously fiddled with the short, discoloured strands of hair framing the left side of her face. The frizzy, dark tips were a stark contrast to her otherwise snow-white hair; Ruby had literally set her on fire during a simple dust experiment in their third year at Beacon. Weiss was the laughingstock of her family—and she still is whenever someone dared to bring it up—and the irony was not lost on her: the Schnee Dust Company heiress was set ablaze by the very product she manufactured. Hilarious.

"I'd take cast iron over fire dust incineration any day."

"Haha, I think it's cute," he chirped pointing to his friend's hair.

"We agree on something then," Weiss conceded graciously, bringing the charred lock into view. "Shame it refuses to grow back though."

"It might if you, y'know, cut it?"

"Been rather fond with the mystery it alludes to though."

"Not really a mystery if all it takes is a simple Googol search to figure it out."

"Stupid paparazzi."

"It made front page news, what can you do?"

Weiss smacked her forehead with the bottom of her palm. "Ugh, and it's _still_ one of the most searched queries on that infernal website."

Neptune smiled at the light, playful atmosphere between him and Weiss, it made him feel better knowing she still had the strength to smile. Taking a deep breath, Neptune slid the handheld device across Weiss' desk and watched the weary business woman looked at it with a wry grin. The scroll had a music application open on a song with the cover art saying "May I have this dance?"

"I promise I don't bite." Holding his hand out, Neptune waited patiently for Weiss to either decline or accept. "For old time's sake?"

"Hm," she looked between the device and the outstretched hand waiting for her, "why not?"

Hitting the play button, Weiss stood up and took Neptune's hand. He led her to the middle of her study playing the role of an absolute gentleman. The song began with a piano playing softly, its crisp tones filling the quiet room. Weiss took the lead out of habit, relief washing over her when Neptune played along.

They swayed in time with the music, revelling in the comfortable silence between them. It had been years since their last dance, and Weiss was thankful the man had finally learned how to avoid stomping clumsily on her toes.

"You've improved, Mr. Vasilias," she noted calmly.

"Thank you for noticing."

In one fluid motion, the graceful heiress spun her partner and pulled him towards her. His back bounced softly against her chest sending every ounce of blood in his veins up to cheeks, forcing them to flush several shades of red at the sudden contact. He had always wondered how they would feel—obviously they would be supple and perky—but this… this was beyond words, and his dreams didn't do them justice. Maybe he was being biased, but even beneath multiple layers of crisp fabric, Weiss' breasts were definitely the softest he had ever felt by far.

"So what brings you here?" Weiss asked him getting straight to the point. She spun him around and corrected his posture with subtle cues.

"Got some info on Torchwick's whereabouts." She raised her chin and narrowed her gaze sending a shiver down his back. "He isn't six-feet-under if that's what you're wondering."

"Damnit, too much to hope for?"

"Hn, a little."

"What else?"

Neptune mentally kicked himself for losing himself in the close contact he shared with the frightening heiress. "Ran into Coco in Vacuo, she's hot on Cinder's tail—oh, and she'll be bringing souvenirs when she's back."

"I am not paying you two to go on vacation."

"Can you blame us though?" the blue haired hunter shrugged nonchalantly. "All expense paid trip around the world, and free food and lodging at any Schnee Corporation hotel, how can you expect us not to play?"

Fierce Alice blue eyes burned at the statement. "I expect you to do your jobs."

"And we are, boss. We are, but they're not making it easy."

"I pay good money to see results, Mr. Vasilias."

"And you have the best in the business at your beck and call," he countered.

"Sometimes I wonder about that."

Weiss had her right hand on the small of his back giving him the support he needed to lean back into a dip. They stared into each other's eyes mischievously knowing how silly they looked, the press would have a field day with this if it ever got out. A loud knock pulled them out of their little world.

Standing at the foot of the door was a red faced Yang holding her scroll in one shaky hand, her thumb busy mashing a digitized button down feverishly, while the other was clamped tightly over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Weiss immediately dropped Neptune and marched towards her sister-in-law. "What?" she snarled as menacingly as she could.

"Could you be any gayer, sis?" Yang asked with a loud guffaw.

"You came to my office for a reason," the high-strung woman puffed up. "Now what is it?"

"Pizza'll be here in an hour."

"Oh!" Weiss' demeanor flipped completely at the sound of pizza. "Oh thank god, I'm starving."

"Didn't you and Blake eat before picking me up?"

"We did—well Blake did—you can hardly call a breakfast burrito a meal. And I refuse to eat something so undignified."

"It's a burrito, it isn't supposed to be 'dignified', your highness ."

"Either way, it was still unfit for consumption."

"But a greazy, oversized breadstick is fine?"

Weiss flinched under Yang's mocking Stare. "H-Hardly, but I enjoy the memories that accompany it."

"Why did you guys even go for burritos anyways?"

"Your wife demanded it."

Yang clicked her tongue and said, "Now you know how it feels to be bossed around by a scary pregnant lady."

"I was not that bad," Weiss stated in her defense.

"Yes, you were," Neptune and Yang quipped.

"How then?" she asked, crossing her arms.

The blonde opened and closed her mouth several times trying to bring up an instance where a hormonal Weiss Schnee made life a living nightmare, but the deeper she went into her memories the less she found.

"Well damn, you were actually pretty nice."

"Are you saying that I'm not nice now?" Weiss asked, her patience waning.

"Uh, well I should go check on Blakey, so I'm gonna leave you and tuna breath to... whatever it is you guys were doing," Yang said before she slipped out of the office.

"The nerve of that woman," Weiss scoffed.

* * *

><p>Crescent Rose trotted down the hallway with its master perched comfortably on its back. It chattered nonstop trying to converse with her, but all Blanc could hear was the dull whirring of tiny motorized parts and pre-recorded barks and yips. Nevertheless, the sentiment was still endearing.<p>

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up," she said giving Crescent Rose a vigorous neck scratch and a warm hug. "Who's a good girl?" Crescent Rose wagged its tail eagerly, howling in response. "Who's my sweetheart?" Another happy howl. "Uh-huh, you are!"

Blanc giggled at the dog's enthusiasm, but it was devoid of any mirth. How could she pretend to be happy when her mother had once again chosen work over her. Normally she'd accept it with the quiet grace expected of her, however, she had been away from home for over a month and all she wanted was attention—to hear she had been missed, and that she was loved. Instead of the warm welcome she hoped for, she came home to an empty house, then later got an earful for helping out with the chores.

It was unfair.

Most children had to be forced to do something as effortless as taking out the garbage, well most children at least—she was the exception. Little Blanc "Kaspar" Schnee, future heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, eldest daughter of Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose, was too important and too special to ever be bothered with something so mundane and trivial. She was a true-Schnee after all, so it was only natural that she was above it and the simplicity that came with a normal life.

Down below, in the living room, Blanc could vaguely hear the mumbled voices of various people talking and laughing. Sighing, the girl asked her friend to ignore them and continue down the hallway to find a nice secluded area for them to play.

Crescent Rose looked back at her and whimpered, the morose child it carried on its back was not the cheerful master it loved. The young Schnee was a social butterfly that could brighten any room with just a smile, she was the pride and joy of its creator, and the sole reason it exited. The tiny chatterbox's ability to captivate people was what practically sustained her, so it was rare for her to willingly avoid a chance to join in an open conversation. The crimson mechanoid attributed the change to the girl's month-long trip to the Kingdom of Vale.

"Aroo?" the hound sighed, flicking it's pointed ears.

"Nothing is wrong, girl. I'm just tired from the airship," she said trying her best to convince her metal friend.

Crescent Rose growled disbelievingly, "Rrr-wan!"

"No, I'm not lying you big stinker."

"Grrr, row-row."

"Are you sassing me?" Crescent Rose looked back at her smugly. "Y'know, you've got a real attitude for a walking scythe." A low growl rumbled in its throat warning her to watch what her mouth. It curved its segmented, spear-like tail forward and smacked her head gently. "Ow, fine—fine! You've got a real attitude for a walking high-impact sniper-scythe. Are you happy now?"

Crescent Rose nodded it's head cheekily and continued on with its merry trot. Genuinely giggling at her pet's immature antics, Blanc settled down musing on the reason for her sudden bout of melancholy.

It was initially supposed to be a fun vacation with her grandmother to join her favourite aunt, Winter Schnee, on her nationwide concert tour. But that plan instantly came undone the moment they landed in the capital, the city of Vale. Blanc instantly regretted not listening to her mother when she asked for permission to go. The older Schnee was against the idea completely, but with the help of Yang and Winter, Weiss eventually conceded.

The lesser-Schnee came at them like a swarm of hungry mosquitoes out for blood. Adeline did her best to keep them at bay, but her duties as a family diplomat prevented her ignoring the escalating feud between the two Schnee factions. So in an act of (forced) goodwill, Adeline suggested they stay with one of them instead of the nice, safe hotel her mother owned.

This was by no means Adeline's fault, Blanc understood that her grandmother was important. And she also understood that Winter couldn't wait for them; there was always next time. The situation had panned out exactly how Weiss predicted it would, so the only person Blanc could blame was herself for being so stubborn—a trait she inherited from the white-haired woman herself. Thankfully, Weiss was always one step ahead and shipped Crescent Rose with the rest of Blanc's suitcases.

Her days in the magnificent city were mostly spent talking and getting to know her grandparents' business associates, entertaining their kids (who were just as bored as she was), and all the while wearing a ridiculously itchy white dress that matched the tablecloths and doilies. And when she wasn't attending a snooty soiree, she was stuck in a boring mansion getting picked on by her ten bratty "cousins," while Adeline worked to smooth things over between the true-Schnee and the lesser-Schnee.

It was horrible living in that mansion. The servants were overworked and rude, the food was mediocre and lacked the all necessary nutrients her body needed to grow, and it smelled like something had died somewhere in the ventilation system; no one else seemed to mind or even notice the rancid stench. But those were all bearable nuances compared to the hell she had to go through during nightfall.

Blanc wasn't a fan of violence—in fact she detested it more than anything; brussel sprouts were a close second. And she liked it even less when she had to use her best friend as a weapon.

At night, just before bed, the girl would go through a checklist Weiss had discreetly handed to her before she left. It was imperative that she follow each step down to the letter—there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The instructions Weiss noted down were clear, concise and put in simple enough terms the four-year-old could understand. At the time Blanc knew her mother was only trying to protect her, but she was in a relative's home with Crescent Rose by her side. No one—not even the White Fang—dared to go near her. It was one of the many perks of being the eldest daughter of the famous "Ice Queen" and "Grimm Reaper". Blanc was absolutely positive nothing would happen, her mother was just being paranoid.

But Blanc was wrong.

In the dead of night, during her first night there, the lock in her door clicked open; the sound may as well have been thunder. The doorknob twisted slowly, but the would-be-intruder's entry was thwarted by a chair Blanc had cleverly jammed in the space between the knob and the door itself. She had never been more thankful to her mechanized companion's overly protective nature than she was that night.

With alarming speed, Crescent Rose shifted into its true form and aimed every gun and (dulled) blade at its disposal at the door. Crescent Rose widened its stance and sounded it's automated warning, frightening whoever it was trying to get to her. The noise had been so shrill and startling, it had woken up the entire household. Adults all rushed to her room with mixed reactions, her grandmother's was the only one of worry, while the others were either scornful for the rude awakening or terrified of the hulking monstrosity guarding her, flaring its blood-red eyes.

Blanc had only seen this aggressive beast in her mother's videologs; she watched it once out of curiosity and had nightmares for weeks because of it.

Ruby had been out in the field with it to test out its offensive and defensive properties against live Grimm. First she had Crescent Rose charge in using close-combat abilities she based on her own style. The curved fins on its shoulders, fully baring the menacing scythe blades it concealed, swivelled on its axises mimicking Ruby's masterful use of centrifugal force; the pack of beowolves it faced were torn to shreds in seconds.

Blanc didn't have the heart to watch the rest of the five-hour-long footage. To her Crescent Rose was a playful companion that could do no harm, however, reality was difficult to ignore when it readily threatened people with a mini-rocket launcher. It took three of her Uncle Mikhail's best engineers to switch the live ammunition to confetti, silly string and seltzer water. And to her knowledge, Crescent Rose was still unloaded and the threatening weaponry it bolstered was an intimidation tactic meant to protect her.

There had been multiple attempts after that initial night, but all were thwarted by Crescent Rose's menacing presence and her mother's preemptive caution. Blanc had already made the mistake of not heeding her mother's warnings, that was something she wasn't willing to repeat now that she understood how real the danger to her safety was.

Blanc felt the tip of her friend's tail—the former pommel of her mother's scythe—poke her backside. She snapped out of her thoughts and tried to figure out where they were. Crescent Rose eagerly yipped and bucked like a bronco trying to get her give a specific command. Bracing herself against her friend's hotrod-red frame, Blanc realized what had Crescent Rose acting so hyper.

"You're a genius!" she beamed. Crescent Rose hopped in a circle, pleased with itself.

Crescent Rose had taken them to the indoor balcony facing the ballroom. This part of the house was rarely ever used making it the perfect place for them to play.

RWBY Manor's signature one-meter-tall stair railings, made of black polished stainless steel, towered over the girl and her pet like an overbearing wall. Snowflake-like roses of various sizes lined the ornate railing, connected by a series of intricate vines and leaves; the black steel outline gave definition to the red stained glass filling each petal and leaf. Warm light from the gold crystal chandelier, hanging from the center of the ceiling, filtered through the carmine glass showering the blue-gray veined marble floor with petals.

"Grr," Crescent Rose growled getting bored with its master's silence.

"Alright, alright. Let's fly, girl!" Blanc grabbed hold of the fins on its haunches and pushed them down till they were horizontal. She held onto the base as if they were simple handlebars and said, "All set."

The mechanized pup whooped happily as it backed up to the wall, crouching as close to the floor as it could. It waggled its rear in the air and sprang forward with full force, leaping over the railing in a single bound. At the peak of its jump, Crescent Rose pointed its nose to the ground performing a steep dive-bomb. Blanc squealed with glee at the sudden rush of air blowing through her hair.

It was a familiar feeling that helped remind her of all the times she had spent playing with both her mothers. Her favourite game of all time was something straight out of an acrophobe's worst nightmare, it was also extremely dangerous—hindsight it was still much safer than her Auntie Yang's (permanently banned) version of merry-go-round. But when your entire family considers a jaunt through Grimm infested wilderness a great way to relax, there really wasn't much left in the world to be afraid of.

The game was simple. Utilizing her unique semblance, Weiss would summon a powerful glyph that propelled both Ruby and Blanc through the air. And when they couldn't soar any higher, they'd casually lean back and allow gravity to take over. During the descent they would often take turns doing silly poses, but most of the time they simply look up at the sky letting the wind whip past them. Then at the last second, Ruby would pull Blanc close, wrap her cloak around them and activate her own semblance. The sudden burst of speed would send them corkscrewing to the snow covered ground, leaving a stream of rose petal behind, where Weiss waited patiently with another glyph ready to repeat the process all over again.

The girl sorely missed those days, and even though jumping down from the top of a stairway was somewhat entertaining, it couldn't replicate the safety she felt in Ruby's arms or the absolute certainty that Weiss would be there to catch them.

Lost in the moment, Blanc unconsciously leaned back pulling Crescent Rose's fins with her. The slight change in weight distribution and position was more than enough to change its calculated trajectory. And before either of them could comprehend, the mechanical beast's body had tilted backward. In a last ditch effort, Crescent Rose activated the auxiliary thrusters located on its hocks, but the action merely accelerated the flip that dismounted its master.

Time slowed to a painful crawl around them.

The girl, in a moment of contemplative clarity, watched her pet's optical sensors flash with an amber color as it craned its neck to stare at her. The confusion that clouded Blanc thoughts cleared, allowing the urgency of the situation take over. She frantically reached out for Crescent Rose, but her limbs suddenly felt like they were wading through thick molasses.

Blanc swung her arms and legs wildly, or they would have if they weren't moving at a snail's pace. She desperately tried to correct herself and get back on Crescent Rose, but the dog's panicked twists and jerks ripped away any chance she had of grabbing it.

Time accelerated when they were centimeters away from the ground, and the last thing she could remember before losing consciousness was a dull ache, followed by warm sensation slowly trailing down the left side of her face.

* * *

><p>Blake and Velvet shot up from the couch, faces drained of all collective expressions drew a bleak portrait for the blonde brawler sitting next to them. She did her best to maintain her composure as well as she could while straining her hearing, but nothing sounded out of place and the whole manor was quiet. It was unnerving how useless she felt, and it was times like these that Yang truly envied the Faunus.<p>

"Something up?" Yang asked in a serious tone. Without a word of warning, Velvet bolted out of the living room with Blake hot on her heels leaving the blonde alone with her thoughts. Confused and slightly irked, Yang scratched the top of her head brainstorming, _Haven't seen Velv move that fast since—well, shit_.

In that instant, her mellow lavender irises burned red with unbridled fury. The surge of adrenaline her semblance provided gave her muscles the necessary drive to charge head first into whatever mess her sister-in-law might have gotten herself into.

_Damnit Neptune, I'll murder if you so much as touch a single hair on her prissy little head,_ she raged internally. Pounding her fists together and ignoring the pain shooting from her bruised knuckles, Yang redirected the self-inflicted damage with her semblance and felt the fire in her heart ignite, spreading outward like a wildfire that engulfed her body completely. _Don't worry sis, I'll protect her._

The blaze surrounding her surged with new purpose and withdrew into Yang's tightly clenched fists. She concentrated hard to rein in the byproduct of her powerful semblance, tempering it with her will until the core she held in her palms turned white. She squeezed the blinding orb with all her might and forced the flame to ooze out, growing and coiling around her well-toned arms like the serpentine dragons she drew her name from.

Yang trudged up the the flight stairs connecting the living room to the second and third floors of RWBY Manor as calmly as she could. The tails of her twin dragon flames flickered against her cheeks, letting her know that they were at her disposal with each aggressive step she took. The sweltering heat they possessed helped keep her head clear and in check. Yang had gotten a small taste of how brightly she could really burn, and Ruby nearly paid the ultimate price for it.

The battle that fateful night had driven Yang and everyone with her into a corner. She was battered, bruised and bloody, but the horde of Grimm they faced weren't faring any better. Yang was nearing her limits when she watched Blake narrowly dodge a fatal strike aimed at her torso, the agile woman side-stepped away not knowing a second beast was drawing its claws.

Blake's anguished screams washed over her like a surging torrent whisking away any trace of sanity the brawler had left. Ultimately, the blonde knew how dangerous her semblance was, and as adept as she was at tapping into it, she had never fully unleashed it—there had never been a reason to until that moment.

Losing herself in anger and hate fueled the fire's destructive power increasing it tenfold, but in exchange it was voracious and uncontrollable. Friend or foe did not matter when she fully embraced the maddening pulse flowing through her veins like molten magma; Yang had been enslaved by the ruthless element. She wasn't herself that night, and she hasn't been the same since.

Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't the only victim her flames claimed. While her sister did receive the brunt of it, Jaune and Pyrrha both suffered superficial first-degree burns when they flanked her trying to get the younger woman away. Their auras patched them up temporarily, but the burns resurfaced once they exited combat. And Blake, her beloved, irreplaceable Blake, received the same third-degree she inflicted on Ruby when she fearlessly held her face with both hands to snap her out. The devoted Faunus woman had mostly recovered from her wounds, however, garish burn scars remained on her palms and fingertips. Blake may have stopped hiding her true self, but now she was hiding an ugly reminder of her lover's weakness under silk gloves.

Yang recalled the arduous weeks she spent being Blake's hands. It was easy to help her with small tasks, she didn't mind pampering her wife. And while Blake never outright said it, she enjoyed being doted upon and was glad Yang knew that from the bottom of her heart. However, there was one task Yang dreaded: changing Blake's bandages.

The fires roared and thrashed wildly at the painful memory seared into the depths of Yang's subconscious. There was no doubt she would ever forget the gruesome sight.

The cheerful doctor had said that with proper care and plenty of rest, Blake would make a full recovery with little to no adverse side-effects. Yang was more than ready to tackle anything when it came to her partner—everything but what laid beneath those cotton wraps. And while the buxom blonde was no stranger to injuries, she found it incredibly difficult to look at Blake's. Yang wasn't squeamish, she revelled in her bravery, but just the sight of her wife's mangled body curdled her blood and had her running to the nearest bathroom or potted plant. Weiss had kindly offered to do it in her stead, but Yang was adamant that it needed to be her and no one else. She had been the one to hurt Blake, so it was only fitting that she also be the one to nurse her back to health. The heiress didn't push the matter further, and Yang was grateful for that.

Her therapist, Dr. Lecter, theorized that the fire was a representation of her true self: wild, untamable and dangerous. When she heard that final soul crushing word, resentment flourished in the tumultuous sea her guilt threatened to drown her in. Then the therapist continued on to say: "It can also be a source of great warmth and hope. Your flame is not something you need to fear, but something to embrace. Do not let fear hold you back, that fire is as much apart of you as you are a part of it."

Yang had always been afraid of hurting the people she cared about, her natural strength alone was more than capable of that, but she also had an inferno begging to be set free. Somewhere along the line, whether it was a conscious thought or not, Yang willed herself to ignore the fear. However, that left her vulnerable to an emotion just as strong: anger. Blake's calm and emphatic demeanor helped Yang more than anything. She pushed her fears aside and made her realize the flames did not want to hurt anyone; they just wanted to be free. The dark haired woman's unconditional love was the catalyst for Yang's new found strength.

She and the inferno were one and the same. When Yang fully accepted that, the fires settled down like they had during her adolescence, only overtaking her senses whenever emotions ran high. Most of the time when she lost her temper, it would only manifest itself as a slight sizzle, a few sparks and embers, or even just a tiny flicker of light from her hair. All in all it was just a small taste of the monster she could become.

And in hindsight, Blake's wounds weren't that bad. The guilt festering deep within Yang's heart had warped her perception, altering everything she saw into something fueled by hellish nightmares. The dark haired woman had suffered worse and survived without a scratch to tell the tale. And with time the long, jagged striations running parallel across Blake's back would eventually fade, and the burns on her hands were healing well thanks to the medicated cream Velvet prescribed.

Yang reflected on the worst cases she had borne witness to and cringed. So many things could have gone wrong that night, most of which would have taken Blake away from her permanently. The blonde figured she had spent her entire stockpile of luck by having Blake choose to spend her life with her, and now she was tapping into her next life's reserves… but that was going to be future Yang's problem, not hers.

The longer she pondered on the matter of gore mangled huntsmen, the repressed memories she buried deep down emerged. The one she recalled most vividly was when Ozpin conscripted her to aid in a high-risk hunt targeting an obese Ursa and its cubs. The colossal bear put up a fight that damaged a decent portion of the forest, but it still went down nevertheless.

Yang and most the huntsmen she accompanied were a little worse for wear after, but one young man nearly lost his life. The boy was a greenhorn, fresh out of Haven Academy, who somehow managed to worm himself into the roster. Half-way through the encounter, the fool misjudged the distance of his jump and landed too close to a cub. The Ursa noticed, and it look little to no effort for it to maim and dismember him. The huntsman suffered severe lacerations, multiple puncture wounds, and lost the majority of his left arm and leg. Yang doubted his survival, but a courtesy e-mail from the huntsman in charge informed her that he was going to be alright.

Yang flared her powers a final time to feed the white-hot hearts of her flames. She was amazed at how easy it was to manipulate the fire now that she was calm. It made the microwave obsolete for one, and it made clearing the driveway after a heavy snowfall a breeze. And it only took seven months of anger management and therapy to get to this point of mastery, but she knew that there was still so much left to do before her confidence fully returned.

She stopped at Weiss' door, mentally preparing herself to berate the blue-haired huntsman. Yang pushed the door open not knowing what to expect, but whatever was going on behind it she would be able to handle.

"So what do you think?" Neptune asked hopefully.

Weiss flipped through a stapled document skimming over its contents with a disinterested gaze. "He seems capable from what you say, but I'm still not convinced he's what I'm looking for."

"I see," he sighed in defeat. "What about the next person?"

Yang gawked stupidly at the two. "Uh..."

"Something the matter?" Weiss tossed the papers over to the side flippantly.

"Velv and Blakey ran off in a hurry," the blonde explained, her fires extinguishing in a puff of smoke. "I was worried about you."

"Well thank you for keeping me in your thoughts, but as you can see," she said motion to her desk and Neptune, "I'm perfectly alright, however, I am rather concerned about what you said just now."

"Dunno where they ran off to?"

"Yes, that."

The heiress snapped her fingers and three blue holo-screens materialized in front of her. She leaned back in her chair, burying a hand in her silver mane while Yang and Neptune watched, showing more interest in the glitzy technology rather than what Weiss was doing.

"Security cameras," she said smoothly. Each screen quickly subdivided into nine smaller screens, one after the other blinking to life with crystal clear images streaming directly from the manor's army of cleverly hidden cameras.

Weiss looked over each hovering blue panel searching for any sign of Blake and Velvet.

"Any idea where they are?"

"I wouldn't be looking for them if I knew that, now would I?" Weiss growled. The blonde held her hands up in defence ready to apologize, but Weiss waved it off. "Wait, what's Blake doing with all those towels?"

Hearing her wife's name, Yang rushed to Weiss' side. "Where?"

"Damnit, I lost her."

"How could you lose her? You have this entire place wired, how could you lose her?"

"That's because I don't."

"You don't?"

"I don't."

"..."

"..."

"Uh, Weiss?" Neptune gulped. "I don't see Blanc in any of these screens."


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

><p>Weiss' blood ran cold, Neptune was right; Blanc was nowhere in sight. Without wasting another second, Weiss immediately returned her full attention to the floating monitors searching for her eldest daughter's whereabouts. She ignored the unsettling nausea in the pit of her stomach, the last thing she wanted to do was find out whose blood stained Blake's white outfit. But denial could only avert her rational mind for so long.<p>

While the heiress watched the feed, Yang decided to take a more direct path and pulled out her scroll. She hit Blake's emergency speed dial and begged the device to connect, when her call went straight to voice-mail Yang knew something was wrong.

"I can't get in touch with Blake."

"Duly noted," Weiss replied. "Try Velvet."

"On it."

Neptune watched his friends fret over their loved ones, he wanted to help, but there wasn't much he could do. His forte was espionage, not guessing games. If Weiss needed someone silenced or have a lock picked, he could do that with his eyes closed. But this? This was going over his head completely.

"No go with Velvet either," Yang frowned. "I'm out of ideas. Why'd your dad hafta make this house so big?"

"Do you know which areas aren't covered?" Neptune asked, negating Yang's comments.

The hotheaded blonde pocketed her scroll, angry that Neptune had the gall to talk over her. "No, Ruby handled security," she explained through gritted teeth.

Neptune uncrossed and recrossed his legs, chin rested between his thumb and index finger, contemplating their next course of action. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek and said, "When this is all over you guys should probably reconsider that."

"Yeah, no."

"Why not? If you had everything wired this," Neptune motioned to the hovering screens, "wouldn't be happening."

"We're not touching anything," Yang barked stubbornly. "The cameras we have set up are only precaution, this is literally the first time we've used 'em."

"Are you serious?"

Weiss looked sternly at Neptune and said, "Serious."

"I—what?!"

"Dude, who has security cameras rigged all over their house?" Yang let out a loud guffaw, smirking at her small victory.

"I do!" Weiss seethed, offended by the comment.

But Yang waved it off and said, "You don't count, princess."

"And why the hell not?"

"You're rich. Everyone knows rich people are kray-kray."

"Well excuse me for being—whatever you just said!"

"Guys," Nepune sighed as he ran both hands through his hair, "missing women and child remember?"

"We got it." Yang looked at him with a sour expression.

The young man shook his head, he didn't understand how they could remain so calm in a situation as dire as this. He knew team RWBY had a habit of causing mayhem wherever they went, but to go as far as laughing at danger? Neptune expected more. He looked at Weiss, greatly disappointed with how carefree she acted. The man thought, of all people, she would have been the most serious; but no, she acted just as carefree and nonchalant as Yang.

This was not the woman he remembered. The Weiss he knew and loved would have stopped at nothing until was back in order. He loved her obsession with organization, and it absolutely broke his heart to see her allow things to fall into such chaos.

"Hey, sis, you alright?" Yang asked full of concern.

"No," the younger woman replied honestly.

"It'll be alright."

"Dammit, if only I hadn't been so short with her, then maybe…" Weiss lamented, tears pricking her bloodshot eyes. "I am such a fool, I should have gone after her when I had the chance."

"Hey, hey, hey let's calm down. We don't know what's going on, let's not jump to conclusions," Neptune said trying his best to stay positive. He got up from his chair and stood behind Weiss giving her shoulder a firm, reassuring squeeze. "Yeti's probably just playing hide and seek with Crescent Rose. C'mon, Weiss, you know this house better than anyone. Where would she most likely be?"

"That question implies I have a vague understanding of what goes on in my daughter's head—which I don't."

"Don't say that! You care about that little girl, and no amount of faked disinterest will ever change that."

"Tuna can's right," Yang chimed in cheerfully, "the Ice Queen thing doesn't work on family. You're the biggest softie here, and you are an amazing mom."

"Can we stop it with the 'tuna' thing? It's getting old."

"Haha, no."

"C'mon, Yang!"

The blonde wagged her finger at him, clicking her tongue. "As the second queen of comedy, I refuse!"

Weiss listened to her friends bicker, and as humourous as they were, it did little to assuage her tumultuous thoughts. The faith her friends had in her was a heavy burden to bear, it loomed over her head and weighed down every decision she made. It was crushing her, not because people thought she was an actual decent human being, but because she hadn't done anything to prove them right.

"Weiss, I know things have been tough and maybe your decisions of late haven't been for the best, but it's never too late to get things back on track." Neptune smiled down at her, silently urging her to say something.

"I don't know, alright? I haven't spent any time with her since Ruby..." Weiss shrugged his hand off of her shoulder and waved the screens off; the fluorescent light they emitted was beginning to give her a headache. "I've neglected my duties as a mother, I have no excuses to give."

"You didn't neglect her, you just chose to be... indirect with your affection."

Weiss held her hand out telling Neptune to stop speaking. "I don't need you to make excuses for me. You can dress the truth however you like, but pretty words cannot justify my actions.

"And let's not forget how I abandoned her to her fate in Viktory's estate with my mother. Blanc may have survived her ordeal with the lesser-Schnee, but at what cost? The girl we saw today was not the same child who filled the ballroom with foam—and I'm a complete idiot. The ballroom. She's in the goddamn ballroom!"

"Fuck, why didn't we think of that sooner?" Yang blanched.

Before Neptune could gather his bearings and make sense of the situation, Yang and Weiss had left the room.

* * *

><p>"I got all the towels I could find," Blake announced as she dropped to her knees, doing her absolute best to ignore the sickening smell of blood lingering in the air. "Do you need anything else?"<p>

"No, but I need to clean and disinfect this cut. Hand me a towel will you?"

Velvet carefully peeled her folded up jacket off the side of Blanc's face. The smooth material, sopping wet with blood, was cold to the touch. She swallowed hard, willing the bile that threatened to rise up back down, when she inspected the deep cut over Blanc's left eye.

Blake handed her co-worker a clean towel and waited for further instruction.

"Thank you," Velvet said, getting straight to work.

"I'll try and get a hold of the hospital again."

"Wait!" Velvet urgently shouted. "I need you to apply pressure on the wound for a second."

Blake pressed a clean towel against the little girl's eye while the long-eared doctor dug into her jacket's hidden breast compartment. She withdrew a bottle of antiseptic from it and shook it thoroughly before pouring a generous amount onto the towel in her hand. The cut continued to bleed profusely without any sign of stopping; head-wounds were notorious for that. Blake had just applied the towel, but the blood had already seeped through the thick Mistraltan cotton.

Velvet motioned for Blake to take her towel and move away. "I may need you to hold her down if she begins to thrash."

"Understood," the golden eyed woman affirmed.

"Here we go then..." she said apprehensively.

The first dab didn't seem to bother the unconscious child, but the second and third definitely did. Blanc was an unusually strong child, her strength made it difficult for Blake to restrain her tiny limbs and keep them from hitting Velvet. She reminded her of Yang and all the stories from her childhood she had shared.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please bear with it for just a bit longer, sweetheart." Velvet continued to clean the area around the wound, relieved to see that the cut itself wasn't too bad. However, the irony of its location was hard to ignore. "Just a bit longer, little one."

Velvet tossed her towel to the side and grabbed a fresh one. She applied another generous amount of disinfectant and wiped away the final traces of blood seeping out.

"What's next?" Blake asked. The brunette reached into her jacket and pulled out a small case, inside it was an atraumatic suture with a moderately thin thread and a pair of miniaturized surgical scissors. "I think I'm going to be sick," she quickly added.

"Try calling now while I do this then."

"T-Thanks," Blake mumbled, getting up with shaky legs.

"This is my fault for running off on my own," Velvet mused as she guided the needle and thread with expert control.

"Don't say that, we acted on instinct."

"But if I had just taken the time to—"

"Blanc!" Weiss shouted at the top of her voice startling both Faunus women.

"Don't!" Yang exclaimed, jerking her back before she could take another step. "Let Velvet work. I know you're worried, but your little girl is in good hands."

"But I—no, you're right."

"Of course I am."

The young mother stopped struggling and took a deep, calming breath. Yang let her go knowing Weiss was back in control of herself. The two huntresses surveyed the area, flinching at the bloodied towels strewn about and the large pool of blood where the little heiress and her pet had landed.

"What happened?" Weiss gulped. "Blake? Velvet?"

The cat-eared woman put her scroll back in its place, the call for an ambulance had failed.

"I'm not too sure, it happened so fast..." Blake explained with a weary sigh. Yang was instantly by her side, holding her close. "Sorry for leaving you back there."

"You had me worried!" the blonde huffed.

"And yet your first thought was to check on me," Weiss chuckled sardonically as she inspected the ballroom.

"I had to make sure you were alright," Yang pouted, pulling Blake's slender body even closer.

Weiss ignored the others around her and walked up to the heaping pile of crimson metal her happy-go-lucky wife created. She tentatively nudged it with her boot to see if it was still operational. Crescent Rose's blank eyes flickered on, but the rest of it remained limp and lifeless. Weiss scowled at the mechanical beast, her pent up frustrations boiling to the surface. In a moment of uncontrollable rage, Weiss tapped into the dust woven in her clothing and augmented her strength. She kicked Crescent Rose's abdomen and sent it flying into the wall.

"We're having this thing dismantled," Weiss said coldly, flipping her hair off of her shoulder. "Yang, get the car ready, it'll be faster to drive there ourselves."

"On it."

Yang kissed Blake on the cheek and gave her a reassuring hug before taking off to the garage.

"Velvet, status report?"

"Stable."

"Will she be alright being moved?"

"If we keep her still, yes."

Weiss cupped her chin and processed the information. "Blake, options?"

"Easiest method would be to have you carry her," replied the short-haired woman.

"I can carry her," Neptune offered as he trotted into the ballroom slightly out of breath, he had gotten lost within the maze of corridors and hallways. "Weiss, you're still recovering. Let me, I want to help."

The elder Schnee quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Thank you, but I'd feel better if I carried her."

"Are you sure?"

"Neptune," Weiss glowered, "do not second guess me."

"I'm not, I just—"

Slitted, golden eyes jumped back and forth between the two, gauging the situation before settling on the flustered man.

"I think it would be best if you leave," Blake suggested.

Neptune frowned at the open hostility brewing between him and Blake. The accusatory tone she took with him whenever she opened her mouth spoke volumes, and Neptune had more than half a mind to say in return.

"I'm not leaving," he bellowed, undeterred.

"That's not for you to decide," Blake replied as she marched towards him.

"And it isn't yours to decide if I stay or not!"

"Like hell it isn't! This is my home."

"I don't see your name written on it," sneered the blue-haired huntsman.

Blake slammed a gloved hand into her face. She had expected that sort of come back from her somewhat immature wife, not from a man who graduated in the top thirty of his year.

"Please tell me you're joking," the exasperated huntress muttered.

"Hmph, I don't see 'Blake' anywhere." Neptune shrugged confidently.

"It's chiseled on the front doors, you nimrod!" Blake roared furiously.

"That is enough, you two!" Weiss stood between her employees, hands held apart. She looked at them both and shook her head disapprovingly. "We have more pressing matters to attend to here, and I will not allow my two dearest friends wage some silly unverbalized war while I am present. You two may continue with your little spat after we have dealt with the issue at hand." Weiss dropped her hands and looked to Velvet. "How much longer until you are finished?"

"Just give me one second... and done!" she beamed, snipping off the excess thread. Velvet eyed her work, feeling proud at how well she sutured the cut. "Let's go, she needs proper medical attention."

"You're a doctor," Weiss smirked.

"And a damn good one at that," Velvet replied, returning her employer's grin.

* * *

><p>Weiss sat stoically in Blanc's hospital room going over some documents that required her urgent attention, she had read the first paragraph over twenty times since she picked it up half an hour ago. From what she could tell based off of the five sentence block, was that the Pro-Grimm advocates were suing her for clearing out a herd of bovine-esque monsters grazing near one of her mines.<p>

She sipped on a cup of steaming black coffee, occasionally tearing out a small chunk from a large chocolate chip banana muffin. Lie Ren, an old friend and employee of hers, had stopped by with a basket full of baked treats to wish the tiny heiress a speedy recovery.

News of Blanc's accident spread fast, but thanks to Blake's quick thinking they managed to keep it from the media. There was no telling what would have happened if it had breached SDC walls and landed into public hands.

Weiss placed the document down and pinched the bridge of her nose, she was exhausted beyond belief. After two excruciatingly long days, several full pots of awful hospital coffee, and brief run-in with a raging Noracane, she was about ready to condemn the whole world and sleep till armageddon.

"Knew I'd find you here." The sound of Neptune's smooth voice gently jostled Weiss out of her thoughts, giving her a moment of reprieve from the monotonous reading she was doing. "How long have you been up?"

"Long enough," Weiss gruffly replied.

"Everyone in the office is worried about you," Neptune said as he tiptoed to her side.

"Blake's in charge," the busy woman shifted her gaze up to him, "her itinerary alone should be more than enough to keep things in order."

"No doubt about that," he agreed. "But it doesn't mean people can't be worried."

"Hn…"

"Have you been here the entire time?" Neptune asked, unfolding the red and white checkered blanket he brought with him.

"Yes, and it's given me a long list of things to change around here."

"Like what?"

"The coffee supplier to name one."

"That bad?"

"It tastes like diluted dirt mixed with—I don't even want to know, but it's positively repulsive."

After draping the blanket around her, Neptune held her shoulders giving them a comforting squeeze. "Go home and rest, Weiss."

"Not until I know my daughter is alright," Weiss said gripping her mug a little tighter. "Though the real question is why are you here? Shouldn't you be on your way to Vale?"

"I wanted to check on you one last time before leaving," he admitted with a blush.

"Well… thank you?"

"C'mon, Weiss, let me drive you home." The white-haired heiress shrugged him and the blanket off, and swiftly declined his offer. "You're working yourself ragged, you need your rest!"

"I am perfectly well aware of that, but I'll be staying here until I see fit."

"But—"

"Neptune, enough."

"Huh?"

Weiss stood up and motioned for him to follow her, she spared her slumbering child an off-the-shoulder glance before exiting the room. The blue-haired huntsman followed behind her quietly pondering what she wanted. Weiss led them to an empty hospital room in the next hallway and closed the door behind them. Neptune's heart was racing a hundred miles per second when she strode towards him head held high.

"W-Weiss?"

"I need you to stop."

"I don't—"

She held her hand out telling him to be quiet. "Don't play dumb with me. Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice?"

Neptune was now thoroughly confused.

"All those subtle touches, the love-sick stares, gifts—_everything_!" Weiss grabbed him by the collar and brought him down to eye level. "You need to stop that or else you'll be losing more than just your job."

"Weiss…?"

"You and I are friends; I cherish that—I cherish _you_," she said stressing the last pronoun. "I need you in my life just like I need Yang and Blake, but you're aiming for something that will never be yours."

"What are you trying to say?"

"How has anything I've said leave anything to interpretation?"

"..."

"Fine," Weiss muttered. "Let me clarify it for you one last time."

"Please don't, I—"

"You need to snap out of it! Neptune, you're destroying our friendship with your romantic advances!" Weiss exclaimed furiously as she shoved him away. "I love Ruby. I will _always_ love Ruby. My life begins and ends with hers, there is no room for you—there has never been any room for you… and you were the one that helped me realize that, remember?"

"I made a mistake when I let you go."

"No," Weiss said sternly, "you did the single most honorable thing you could have done the night you set me free. You set both Ruby and I free… if you hadn't been there to give me that extra little push, I-I… I don't even want to think about it."

"..."

"Neptune, do you understand what I'm trying to say now?" She reached out and caressed his cheek. "I don't want this to come between us."

"I love you," he whispered, tearing up. "Every day I spend without you is hell. You're all I want and need!"

"Stop it!"

"If only it was that easy!" he shouted in her face. "I took every chance I could to get away from you, but the moment I see your face or hear your voice my whole world lights up! You're everywhere I go; I can't escape."

Neptune wrapped his arms around her, tears rolling down his cheeks. She struggled against him, begging to be released, but he persisted and tightened the one-sided embrace.

"I can't idly stand by and watch you anymore."

"Don't make me file a restraining order against you."

"Weiss, snow angel, I'm begging you to give me a chance. I can be everything you need and more."

"The only one I will ever need is Ruby," Weiss proclaimed proudly.

"She's gone, Weiss, but I'm still here," Neptune's voice cracked. "I'll always be here. I won't leave you alone like she did."

"How dare you speak about my wife that way," she hissed, angrily tearing herself away from him.

"Wife?! She doesn't even know who you are!" Neptune argued as he grabbed her by the waist.

"Can you honestly say you know me any better?" Weiss snarled trying to put as much distance between them as she could, but he was a lot stronger than she expected. "Don't make me laugh."

"I can and I do!"

"Let me be the judge of that."

"Your favorite colours are white and blue. You're a cat person. And you're vegetarian."

"Wrong. Wrong. And wrong." Weiss said, her frown worsening with each reiteration.

"Bullshit!"

"I wear white and blue out of habit, but my favourite colour is red—how is that not obvious? I'm also allergic to cats; I can't stop sneezing around those things! I like vegetables, I like them a lot, but I also enjoy a good steak just like everybody else."

"What?"

"See? Everything you know about me is wrong. I don't even know where you got that drivel."

"Alright, you win this round. So maybe I don't know you as well as I thought I did," he admitted reluctantly, "but that can be fixed easily by spending time together."

"My god, are you stupid? What part of 'no' do you not understand?! Neptune, I have never felt anything for you beyond friendship."

"People change and so do feelings, all I need is a chance to prove myself to you."

"A chance?" she growled darkly.

"Yes, just one. That's all I need."

"I'll give you your goddamn chance then!"

Weiss gathered all her strength and shoved him an arm's length away. Before he could retaliate, she grabbed him by scruff of his neck and crushed her lips against his. Weiss bit down hard on Neptune's bottom lip, and drove her tongue into his mouth when he gasped in surprise. The kiss wasn't anything like the ones he fantasized about. She smelled like heaven and her lips were incredibly soft, the way they moved should have been more than enough to drive him wild with need, but instead he felt disgusted.

Having had enough, Neptune pulled away. Weiss spat all the saliva in her mouth on the ground, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

She looked at him venomously and asked, "Are you satisfied now?"

"That was..."

"Absolutely disgusting," Weiss said, finishing his sentence.

"This is what I've been dreaming about for so long?" he asked himself in disbelief. "You're an amazing kisser, but that felt like I was kissing Sun!"

"Likewise."

"Ugh, I think I need some mouthwash..."

"There should be some in the bathroom," Weiss said, pointing to the aforementioned room.

"Weiss, I'm really sorry for... well everything."

"I can't forgive you right now," she sighed. "You violated my trust, but I'm not entirely blameless either. I should have stopped you a long time ago, that was my mistake and I apologize for any mixed signals that caused."

"Weiss..."

"I'll let you keep your job, but from this point on you are no longer welcomed in my home."

"Thank you for the leniency."

"Don't thank me, you're on extremely thin ice."

"I'm really sorry," he said unable to look her in the eyes. "I've messed everything up."

"Put it behind you and don't ever look back."

Neptune rubbed the back of his neck. "That won't be an issue..."

"It better not."

"A-Are we still friends?"

The white-haired woman nodded her head solemnly giving Neptune a bit of hope.

With one foot out the door, Weiss paused and said, "You'll also report directly to Blake until further notice. You will not contact me, is that understood?"

"Understood, Mrs. Rose."

"Have a safe trip then, Mr. Vasilias. Farewell."


End file.
